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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921892">The Dragon's Hoard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyWasRed/pseuds/HollyWasRed'>HollyWasRed</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Whole New Look On What The Mother Of Dragons Means, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Breeding, But only a little, Cervix Penetration, Dragon Eggs, Dragon sex, Dragons, Dragons Like Caves, Egg Laying, Eggpreg, Falling In Love, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, If You Squint - Freeform, Interspecies Sex, Mentions Of Hermaphroditism, Mildly Dubious Consent, Other, Oviposition, Porn With Plot, Teratophilia, Trans Male Character, Treasure Hunting, Vaginal Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:15:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>24,465</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921892</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyWasRed/pseuds/HollyWasRed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tasked with finding out if there really is treasure to be found in the cave at the top of the local mountain, Kam journeys there alone to see what he can discover.</p>
<p>Oh there is treasure alright, but nobody mentioned the charming dragon guarding it. Dragons are supposed to be terrifying monsters, so why is this one anything but that?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Characters - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>242</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I just want to quickly point out that there are a lot of shortened words here with speech, usually with a verb missing their final letter and a ' in its place. This is purely characterisation to portray Kam's poorer upbringing and subsequent lack of learning formal speech and enunciation. It is NOT meant to be offensive or used as a showcase to those who might frequently speak like this and had a perfectly normal upbringing and went to school etc. This is fiction.</p>
<p>Okay? Okay, super. Let's go :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A thief in the night; that’s what they called Kam, those who knew him anyway. Not everybody knew what Kam did for a living. He lived one way during the day and another when night fell. Kam liked to think that many people did that, especially when you came from nothing and were surrounded by people who were born into the top.</p>
<p>Kam swept the granite floor for what felt like the millionth time in his life. Picked up at a young age by the only person who had ever truly looked his way, Kam had been brought up to believe that as he came from nothing, he was just that; nothing. Servant boys were easy money, easy as pie to sell and even easier to keep in service considering they had nowhere to go back to. For most of his life, Kam had not a coin to his name. In hindsight, he was thankful to the old man who had found him, to Roy, but he was cruel in his methods of teaching Kam basic life skills and his punishments for failure were even worse. In the ramshackle house he and so many others like him had been raised before being sold off, Kam had learnt a few things that were now paying off big time when the sun went down.</p>
<p>It was a secret he closely guarded, something nobody expected of the thin and scruffy servant with pasty skin and hair always in his eyes.</p>
<p>So during the day he swept the granite floors, polished the marble, cleaned the dishes and emptied the chamber pots. During the day, Kam kept his head down and made sure when he was working in the castle that every damn crevice had been dusted, every floor had been mopped. Doing what he had to do in the castle kept those who lived in it pleased and as the years had gone by, Kam turning from a boy to a man, he had been granted further privileges that the other servants had not. Loyalty, no matter if it was for show, left much to be gained.</p>
<p>When Kam finished for the day, cleaning supplies and other materials stored away, he headed home.</p>
<p>
  <em>Home.</em>
</p>
<p>Defined as so many things to people, to Kam it was the people he lived and worked alongside who made him feel like he finally belonged.<br/>
Out from the castle and into alleyways that led to the less than pleasant part of town, Kam stopped by a faded green door that looked about ready to fall apart, yet it had always held fast. Raising his hand, he knocked four times, a slight pause between the third and fourth to signal who he was and the thin slat that shifted back revealed the piercing gaze of the watchwoman Greta.</p>
<p>“Oh, it’s you.” She grunted, closing the slat before hauling back the heavy door. It was as kind a greeting as you would ever get from Greta. </p>
<p>“Evenin’ m’lady.” Kam responded in jest, knowing how to tease Greta after all these years.</p>
<p>“I ain’t no lady, you wretch,” Greta locked the door in place with the countless bolts and chains that criss-crossed the back of it. “Ain’t no lady like those posh bitches in frilly frocks.”</p>
<p>“You’re tellin’ me,” Kam sighed. Some women, even now with the way he looked, Kam was sure they did a double take. It was his nose; too delicate. Or maybe his too small mouth with its slight pout. Hell, it could be something else entirely and Kam had mentally decided not to bother paying attention to it. Not good for the self-esteem.</p>
<p>A few masculine laughs echoed down the corridor opposite, the sound making Kam’s shoulders relax.</p>
<p>“All the boys are here tonight. Think Alec picked up somethin’ expensive that’s been makin’ them hoot and holler for the last half hour. Makin’ me head hurt already.”</p>
<p>“Maybe they got the good wine out.” Kam wondered more to himself as he turned to make his way down the corridor but Greta yelled after him.</p>
<p>“They’ll be arm wrestlin’ you if they have!”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ve been practicing!” Kam was feeling up for it if the boys wanted to roughhouse.</p>
<p>“Fuck yeah, my money’s on you. You got more balls than them anyway.” The last part of Greta’s statement was quieter, but Kam heard it nonetheless. He didn’t need literal balls to be part of this bunch of misfits, thankfully they accepted him for who and what he really was combined.</p>
<p>The <em>boys</em> as Greta lovingly called them, were a group of fourteen men, Kam included, that like Kam, had been told they were nothing and strove for something better in life, something more. As they found each other before finding the hole in the wall house they had filled with life, the same effect rang true with each set of eyes belonging to the thirteen sitting around the central fireplace. They leant on each other for support growing up and lived on borrowed strength until they were strong enough to stand up tall on their own.</p>
<p>Just like Kam did each day, they did something mundane to pass the time, to earn a pitiful amount of coin before the real fun began.</p>
<p>Thieves in the night.</p>
<p>There wasn’t anywhere that the group wouldn’t consider to tackle next, not even the castle was safe and with Kam’s inside knowledge of its complex layout, things went missing from time to time, never to be seen again. Sneaking through a window or a cellar door, treading so softly as though they were mice instead of men, sent a thrill through Kam that not much else in life compared to.</p>
<p>Greta had spoken true; Alec had had a successful haul, probably the biggest of his life so far and after some idle chatter, the good wine came out to loosen tongues and warm the souls.</p>
<p>As the sun rose the next morning, Kam was ever thankful that he wasn’t the biggest fan of wine. One or two glasses was enough to get him buzzed and have his eyelids feeling heavy. He wasn’t the only one, he realised. None of them drank a lot, a job could come up at any given notice, but there were a few who got a little looser than the others. As Kam made his way from his room, ever grateful to have his own where many of the others shared, he headed to the kitchen to prepare a snack when Alec came in moments later.</p>
<p>“Get some coffee going?” He smiled, looking a little worn out but bright eyed, clearly still on a high from yesterday’s take. Kam did as he asked, filling the kettle with recently ground beans and water before setting it over the little fire pit to boil.</p>
<p>“So,” he began, “what’s next for sneaky Alec? I still can’t believe you got in and out so fast.”</p>
<p>“Lots of scoping the place out that took far too much time but hey, it paid off,” Alec shrugged, tousled hair still mussed from sleep. “Not sure what’ll be next though, with the money I’ll get when I get that thing fenced, think I might take a little break.” The <em>thing</em> that Alec referred to that he had so perfectly swiped and currently adorned the living room’s mantelpiece of the fireplace, was an intricate blue and gold vase. Made from bone china and painstakingly painted with golden vines and leaves that swirled and twined around each other, it was a piece the group had been eyeing for a while ever since they heard of it coming into the city. A gift from some elaborate nobleman to the scholars in the city’s library after they helped him recover some old family archives so he could reclaim his title. More the fool for the nobleman being such a show off in the first place, the fancy vase was now making the living room pretty, albeit temporarily.</p>
<p>Kam handed Alec a cup of coffee and poured his own, taking a seat at the little wooden table that took up the centre of the kitchen.</p>
<p>“So what’s the library like? I’ve never been in it. Heard it’s pretty impressive and all that.”</p>
<p>Alec chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I don’t read much, but if I ever take it up as a hobby then I know where to go. Never seen so many damn books in my life. Shelves and shelves of ‘em right up to the ceiling.”</p>
<p>“Wow, someone wrote all that shit.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but not just one person, Kam. A whole bunch of clever people with a lot of time on their hands.”</p>
<p>“If anythin’ else comes up in the library and I don’t see it first, lemme know?” Kam asked.</p>
<p>“Course, someone always wants a tome or a scroll. Nothin’ exciting I know but somethin’ simple to get started if you ain’t been there before.” Alec replied, sipping the hot coffee and humming in pleasure at the taste. Another thing that they hadn’t had access in the beginning but did so now.</p>
<p>After a few moments of comfortable silence, Alec spoke again.</p>
<p>“I er…took somethin’ else. Didn’t tell the others, thought they wouldn’t be as interested in it as you might be.” </p>
<p>Kam raised a brow. “Oh yeah? I don’t read much either, in case it’s a book.” He spoke lightly to make sure Alec knew he was joking but his friend simply shook his head, a small smirk on his lips.</p>
<p>“Nah my brother, a map.”</p>
<p>“A map?”</p>
<p>“A map.”</p>
<p>“A map of what?”</p>
<p>Alec put down his mug and stood, retrieving the map from one of the many cupboards lining the wall above the sink. Tucked between mason jars of spices and dried goods and carefully folded in on itself several times so it fit neatly in his palm, Alec unfolded the map which almost covered the table.</p>
<p>The first thing that drew Kam’s eye was the mountain depicted in the top right corner of the map and below it, the city in which they lived. Beyond were hills and the central valley that split into several directions to take travellers in new directions. However, even as old and faded as it was, the map was clearly highlighting something on the mountain. A less travelled road or path, winding its way up to the top but just as Kam was about to ask, Alec flipped the map over where a further detailed depiction of the mountaintop was sketched.</p>
<p>“I can’t make out all this fancy script,” Alec stated, gesturing to the cursive handwriting that adorned one side of the map that must have been giving details on what the drawing was all about. “But! I might’ve read a few maps, seen a few things and I know a treasure map when I see one.”</p>
<p>“Oh come on, a treasure map? Are you serious?” Kam frowned.</p>
<p>“This weren’t just lyin’ around for the takin’! This was in the master scholar’s lockbox. On his desk. In his office. Both of which, you guessed it, were <em>locked</em>.” Alec looked so pleased with himself that Kam didn’t want to spoil the moment. He knew Alec was good with locks, knew that he couldn’t help himself when he came across something closed off that he wasn’t meant to get into. It was a challenge for him, a contest of <em>oh so you think this can stop me?</em></p>
<p>As if reading Kam’s mind, Alec continued. “You know I love me a lock, there’s always somethin’ good behind them and <em>this</em> is good. More than good.”</p>
<p>“Alright, so you found a treasure map, what you gonna do next? Go after it? You said you were thinkin’ of takin’ a break.”</p>
<p>“Well actually, I was thinkin’ that you might want this.”<br/>
“Me?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. The mountain is right behind the castle to which you have the most frequent access and there is that little trading post up there, that old sentry tower. You could stop there overnight and continue in the mornin’.”</p>
<p>“I ain’t no adventuring moron of a knight, Alec. I steal shit, not clamber up mountains in search of treasure that may or may not be there.” </p>
<p>“There’s no way this map was just sittin’ all casual-like in the master scholar’s lockbox just mindin’ its own business,” Alec defended. “They always keep the most important stuff locked up for him alone. I reckon he was about to investigate before I swiped it.”</p>
<p>Kam mulled it over. Alec wasn’t exactly wrong; the master scholar did do the first review of new documents, books and texts that came the library’s way, that was no secret. Surely, whoever the map had come from had drawn it for a reason. It was so detailed, so intricate to the point Kam could make out little individual houses clustered together that made up the dwellings around the castle and the villages beyond from the valley. Kam could make out forests and lakes and rivers and other landmarks of interest that everyone in the land knew of. Maybe there was something to it, or maybe it was the worst idea that both Alec and Kam himself had ever had.</p>
<p>But you only live once.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It wasn’t the mountain climbing, the overnight stay in the run down trading post, the potentially dangerous wild animals or even the weather that Kam decided were the worst things on the list of things that he would encounter; it was the mountaintop itself and more specifically, the cave which housed the treasure. Kam wasn’t by any means afraid of the dark, but the thought of just using an oil lantern to navigate the darkness did send shivers up his spine. Alec had agreed to scope out the cave entrance beforehand, signing himself into the trading post guesthouse for a few days and gathering information. The trading post was half a day’s journey up, conveniently positioned almost halfway up the mountain itself, with another half a day’s trek to the top. Thankfully, it wasn’t a particularly large mountain, there were definitely others in the land that were far more of a challenge and most likely impassable altogether. Icewall Peak, as it was affectionately called, gained its name from the sheets of sea ice that had been thrown against the back of the mountain on the opposite side to where the city laid their eyes upon it, then frozen solid by the freezing wind. The ocean beyond to the east was mostly frozen over, the mountain casting its frigid shadow over the castle and the villages around it but also using itself as a barrier against the elements, keeping the city safe from the biting touch of the tundra that lurked just out of reach.</p>
<p>Alec confirmed that nothing seemed out of place. Apart from a few stray wolves that feared fire more than anything else and some extremely territorial mountain goats that threated to head-butt you off a cliff edge, there were no signs of any creature with malicious intent. What Alec didn’t voice was what he was actually looking for; a direwolf, cave spiders, or even, gods forbid, a stray naga. Anything could have ended up in that cave over the years with the seclusion it offered.</p>
<p>According to Alec’s research, pirates braving the sea found the cave through a hidden entrance through the ice sheets and stored everything they hauled in there. The poor weather and constant shift of the ocean eventually sealed off the entrance and the pirates were unable to navigate the mountain from any other way without touching ground first and risk being spotted by a border patrol further inland. However, Alec had found nothing. No footprints, no bones, no stray feathers or scales that had been shed and no webs beyond the natural accumulation of cobwebs from spiders no bigger than Kam’s smallest fingernail.</p>
<p>He would be fine, he could do this and if even if nothing came out of it and the treasure was just a rumour, Kam would happily gloat for the rest of his days that he had made it up there and back. There were shrines dotted on the main path as it twisted further up, used as checkpoints for those worshipping the gods they were dedicated to and patrols went past them every few days to make sure that anyone who had passed through the trading post was safe. Unless of course, they strayed from the path.</p>
<p>When Kam checked into the sturdy wooden building, greeted by the warmth of a hearth and a tastier than it looked meat broth, he fell into an exhausted sleep on scratchy sheets. Thankful that he was able to take several days leave as a reward for his loyal service and hard work, Kam was determined to utilise this time and hopefully, reap the rewards. </p>
<p>As the sun dawned bright and early, the mountain air so fresh it stung a little in Kam’s lungs as he took a deep breath, he checked out of the trading post, buying a few dried strips of meat and a couple of apples on the way out. The withered old man at the main desk, eyes keen and hands rough from years of spotting animals motionless in the treeline and pulling back the drawstring of a bow, gave Kam an impressed once over before he left.</p>
<p>“Surprised a skinny chap like you made it up here. What you lookin’ for?” </p>
<p>Pleased that the man had also thought him male, Kam raised his chin. “Just a little peace and quiet. You know, good for the soul and all that.” As blasé as possible, Kam informed the man he was heading back down to the city but instead, just as planned, headed around the trading post and swiftly in the direction of the path up the mountain. With the sun so bright in the cloudless blue sky, Kam thanked whatever gods might be listening for the good weather and with his bag thrown over his shoulder, made his way up.</p>
<p>He stopped for lunch, noticing not for the first time, just how quiet it was on Icewall Peak. He could see eagles and other smaller birds in the distance, but nothing that rested in the pine trees that grew from the mountainside like stalagmites would reach from the floor of a cave. He could hear no wolves, no arctic hares scuffling about or rodents sifting through the scraggly grasses. Granite and slate jutted out at awkward angles, snow-capped and mysterious. Wildflowers in shades of blue that matched the sky deepened in colour and turned purple the further Kam walked, filling the air with a delicate sweet scent. However, no bees buzzed around them, which had Kam wondering how they continued to flower. </p>
<p>Kam stopped in his tracks when he came across a decayed old shrine, runic writing on it barely eligible even if he could translate it. In front of it, placing a wreath of sticks and the wildflowers he had seen earlier, knelt a hunched woman, as aged and decrepit as the shrine she was offering to. She didn’t even look up at Kam before she was speaking in a hoarse voice like that of chains dragging across stone.</p>
<p>“You come a long way in your search, young one.”</p>
<p>Kam said nothing, waiting to see if she would say anything else. Instead, she stood, heaving her body up with the aid of a gnarled walking stick. The cloaks she wore almost blending in with the shades of grey of the rocks surrounding them both. Her face held lines of age so deeply trodden they reminded Kam of the valleys he had seen in the map. One eye was missing whereas the other was such a pale blue it might have even been white. The hood of her cloak half covered her head, leaving stray bits of wispy hair to blow in the slight breeze. She watched Kam and he watched her back as he slowly made his way past the strange woman so far up the mountain he wondered just how she had managed to walk all the way up here by herself.</p>
<p>“Just mindin’ my own business,” Kam offered as he stopped several feet away, half turned to the path up and half facing the woman. “As should you.”</p>
<p>“I wonder what it is you’re looking for?” The woman ignored him, asking a question but scratching her chin like a man might do to his beard. She appeared to be pondering aloud rather than ask Kam such a thing.</p>
<p>“I’m not lookin’ for anythin’, old lady.” </p>
<p>“Oh my pet, everyone and everything searches for something whether they realise it or not.” She chuckled, a harsh sound that appeared to take effort. She looked Kam up and down. “The journey up the mountain can be quite perilous, but it looks like someone favoured you today.” She cast her single eye briefly upwards before looking back at Kam. “The journey down is easier.” With that said, she turned and walked off the way Kam had come until she was completely out of sight. </p>
<p>Kam shivered. Surely, the old lady was a witch of some sort and he wondered that he might have been cursed and have a terribly difficult time getting back down the mountain, let alone the short distance the rest of the way up. Pushing that morbid thought aside, he continued, straying from the path far enough until finally, the cave loomed. Alec had stashed some lanterns and oil between two large rocks that rested against each other, protecting it from the elements until Kam could find them. </p>
<p>The cave mouth itself, was largely nondescript just as Alec had said it was. It was larger than he first thought and as Kam lit up a lantern and investigated the entrance, he saw nothing out of place. It just looked like any old cave with its rough walls, dry floor and somewhat stale smell. It also wasn’t quite as dark as he first thought either, with small gaps in the cave ceiling giving way to tendrils of light that was enough for plant life to grow. Moss covered rocks and ivy that clambered its way up, wrapping around everything it touched. Leaves had blown in from stronger winds than the one today and had settled on the cave floor in a carpet of red and brown. He recalled Alec’s words, <em>if you don’t feel safe, just leave, you ain’t a cat with nine lives.</em> Kam stood, pondering that advice and eyeing the way the cave widened as it went into the mountain, opening up to whatever chasm was ahead. He had only taken five steps forward when a glint caught his eye.</p>
<p>Nestled in the leaves and almost covered by them, sat a single gold coin. Like a magpie would do, Kam was instantly attracted to it. He cautiously stepped forward, hyperaware of any sound that wasn’t one he made himself as he trod. There were no hidden wires of some elaborate spring trap and there certainly wasn’t the mouth of a bear-trap waiting to snap its spikes around his wrist should he pick the coin up. Years of training had Kam wary with the almost too good to be true situation he found himself in.</p>
<p>So he tossed a pebble at it.</p>
<p>Nothing happened but for the sound of the pebble rolling away. </p>
<p>Feeling a little more courageous, Kam picked it up, felt the weight the coin had and admired the intricate carvings adorning both sides. It was <em>old,</em> the head of a king long dead on one side and an elegant but rarely seen bird on the other, Kam’s whole body buzzed with the excitement of such a find. A coin as old as this was surely to sell for big money! It just left the question; what else was there to find?</p>
<p>Popping into his satchel, Kam carefully went on. The cave grew so wide it felt as though he were in a great room and it was when he began to hear running water, that he realised he was.</p>
<p>In the centre, a vibrant blue-green spring rippled from the constant water that cascaded out of the rock face, at least twenty feet high. It wasn’t a huge force pushing the water out, but it was high enough that it turned to spray before it fell into the spring which, when Kam studied it further, seemed to sparkle of its own accord.</p>
<p>But no, it was reflecting the ceiling. High above, the blackness of the cave was littered with tiny sparkling objects. Were they stars? Had they fallen from the sky before the mountain was made and got trapped here? They seemed to twinkle and flash at Kam and they stole his breath at the beauty of it. If he could just take one of those home…</p>
<p>Kam approached the bank of the spring, daring to dip a finger into it and watch the water ripple around it. It was…tepid at best. A strange mix of both warmth and cold that was extremely tempting to just dive into but he yanked his hand back, a gasp bursting from his mouth before he could stop it at the sound that suddenly seemed to fill the cave.</p>
<p>A gust of wind, like that forced from the bellows of lungs much bigger than his own, rushed out from another opening at the other side of the cave. It was like a <em>sigh,</em> tapering off deeply and tinged with a sound that made Kam’s bones vibrate.</p>
<p>A growl.</p>
<p>He wasn’t here alone.</p>
<p>Kam bit down hard on his lower lip, feeling a prick of blood under his canine as he decided what to do. There was someone, <em>something</em> else here and a part of Kam wanted to know what it was. The other part was wondering why he hadn’t left already. </p>
<p>“I’ve come all this way,” voice barely a whisper, “I’m already here.” Kam swallowed the twisting fear that tried to rise from his stomach to his throat, he wouldn’t scream and run like a girl, he was not a girl! Edging his way around the spring, the teal light it emanated combined with the oil lantern was enough for him to see where he was going. Kam was used to the darkness and shadows, he lived in them, breathed in them and stole in them. He had learned to utilise the darkness as though it were a physical thing he could fold around himself. Surely whatever lumbering thing was using the cave could do no such thing. He would not let his mind run away without him and start conjuring up images of ghastly beasts.</p>
<p>The end of this cave opening was a lot shorter and much to his surprise, Kam could see light bouncing off the walls. Was there someone else here who had made a camp? Anger chased the fear away at the thought of rival thieves trying to scare him off. It wouldn’t be the first time he had nearly been fooled, but he hadn’t been fooled yet and wasn’t about to start now. As Kam approached, he noticed the light flickered and danced; flames. There really was a campfire just around the corner. Unsheathing the dagger from the back of his belt, Kam left the oil lantern at the mouth of the smaller cave within a cave and tip-toed along the wall, trusting his light foot and dexterity to guide him. He would just take a quick peek, count how many men there might be and go from there.</p>
<p>But nothing could prepare Kam for what he saw.</p>
<p>A bright open space, wall sconces and torches lining the walls like they had been intentionally placed there revealed what was making everything so bright.</p>
<p>Gold. Piles and piles of the stuff packed tightly together with highlights of reds, greens, blues and pinks of gems and other treasures scattered throughout. There were crowns, necklaces, bracelets, sceptres, goblets, chalices and candelabras. Fine silks and garments of colours that Kam didn’t even know how to describe. There were books too and rolls of parchment held closed with fancy twirling ribbon. Pearls the size of his fist and the huge clamshells they had likely been found in shone a myriad of rainbow light in the flames that danced on the walls. The final finishing touch to the cave, the <em>room</em>, was a diamond encrusted chandelier that almost spanned its entire width. What Kam assumed to be ivory made up the rest of his, held securely to the ceiling with an adamantine chain.</p>
<p>Kam had felt his eyes widen, his jaw fall open and he was sure his heartbeat had stopped for a moment. This was it. Every damn word Alec had said, every stupid suspicion he had held onto that the map was a special case, had been correct. Kam wasn’t sure how he would repay him, but he supposed sharing the wealth he had just made with him and the other guys in the group was a good place to start.</p>
<p>Kam was just about to take a step forward when movement brought his focus back to the middle of the room, stomach dropping to the floor.</p>
<p>Nestled among the coins and gold and jewels, lay a sleeping dragon.</p>
<p>Kam mentally slapped himself on how he didn’t see it first now that he had seen it. It wasn’t a particularly large dragon, perhaps the size of one those strong horses that ploughed fields and pulled heavy loads, but it was a dragon nonetheless. From the parts of it he could make out, he could see its half covered head, a part of its shoulder and what must be a hind leg. The tip of its tail also peaked out, a silver chain wrapped around it in such a way it must have been intentional. The scales, smooth looking like that of a snake, were pale green, like an emerald that had been left out in the sun, bleached and faded. The dragon shifted again and several coins and jewels fell over its shoulder, scattering across the floor. </p>
<p>Kam held his breath, frozen in place. The fear in his gut a toxic bubbling thing that was threatening to make him do something stupid like scream and run as he had momentarily thought about doing earlier. Even if he did, there was no way he would be getting out alive.</p>
<p>The dragon’s slight shift had not woken it up. Its eyes still firmly shut, it hardly seemed to breathe as it lay completely immobile once again. But its movement had caused a gold ingot the size of a brick to slide across the floor and more towards Kam himself. It was like it was asking to be taken, to leave the cave in Kam’s bag and if he was going to get himself out of here, he was damn going to do it with something to show for it besides a single coin.</p>
<p>So he took a step, then another, then another. Padded on silent feet like he had seen felines do when chasing a mouse, Kam bent, stooping low, eyes on the prize. </p>
<p>He spared a glance down to make sure his fingers would grasp the ingot proper, feeling the smooth surface of it and its pleasant weight further proved it was probably worth more than Kam could spend in his lifetime. This would do, this would suffice.</p>
<p>Kam looked up.</p>
<p>Straight into the open eye of a strange yellow-green in the face of the dragon.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So basically, I'm incapable of writing a PWP one-shot without getting dragged into plot land and not coming out the other side for a while. I've been here before, send help :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Before Falán could reassume their ministrations, Kam caught the dragon’s head with both hands. “Promise…promise you won’t hurt me? I don’t-” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <em>I am not going to hurt you, pretty human. You might scream but it will only be in pleasure.</em></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A heartbeat, a second, a third. Kam didn’t think he had ever been so still in his life. He never been caught, but then again, what had caught him wasn’t a human. Using his bent position to his advantage, Kam spun on the spot, pushing off into a sprint and running back the way he had come. The sound of the treasure hoard crashing to the floor was deafening as the dragon sprang to life, but the sound of its angered roar even more so. With his heart pounding so hard he thought it might burst, Kam rounded the bend that led back to the spring. He could see it just ahead, could just make out the other side where he had first come in, was about to dart to his right to go around the pool when a <em>whoosh</em> sounded behind him.</p>
<p>The dragon had leapt over him, spreading wings that were mostly feathered as it cleared the spring and landed on the other side. The force of one single wingbeat pushing Kam to his knees and he finally tripped, crashing to the ground and sending the ingot flying ahead of him and into the water with a splash. Reacting fast, Kam rolled, stifled a cry of pain from the rocky ground jabbing at his back and twisted upright to his feet when he saw the dragon had positioned itself right in front of his exit.</p>
<p>It hissed at him, teeth as long as his finger folded outwards like that of a viper, jutting forward and revealing a forked tongue that although almost as wide as its mouth, tapered into a neat split. When Kam forced himself to look away to peer to his right, the dragon spat a ball of flame that stuck to the wall just a few feet from him, dripping down it like oil. Kam turned to his left and the dragon did the same thing, realising that it wasn’t breathing fire exactly, more that its saliva was as flammable as the oil igniting the lantern he had come in with.</p>
<p>Kam’s back was now against the wall, his knees threatening to give out as he watched the dragon begin stalking forwards. It had four legs, hunkered down on them and prowled like a tiger Kam had seen one do at a travelling circus that had once passed through the city. Its skin rippled from the muscles moving underneath, neck curved and wings held up in graceful arc, it reminded Kam of a pissed off swan. It even hissed like one, but the illusion of that dissipated when its forked tongue swept out like a snake, tasting the air, tasting Kam’s fear. It drew ever closer until it crowded his vision, the smell of wood smoke and charred meat assaulting his senses.</p>
<p>Kam shut his eyes, bit his lip. He was going to die, he was going to die, he was going to die, he was going to…</p>
<p>The dragon’s hissing stopped, deep breaths evening out and the sense of it being so close faded. Kam dared to open one eye, about ready to collapse. The dragon had indeed moved back, it simply watched him with eyes that were bright in the dim light. Its head tilted from left to right like a curious dog, it blinked, something that Kam actually heard as a reptilian third eyelid swept back and forth first before the upper and lower lids moved. As Kam stared, a tiny flare of pain swept across his mind, from the back of his head around to the front. It made him blink hard against it but as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.</p>
<p><em>What will you do now, little human?</em> A voice, a deep voice, resonated in his head. It echoed, like a scream might do in the cave. <em>There is no getting past me.</em> The dragon was talking to him. Talking. To Kam.</p>
<p>Kam sputtered, at a loss for words as his voice eluded him so the dragon pressed on.</p>
<p>
  <em>You thought to steal from me, mmm? How ridiculous; a human stealing from a dragon. Pah!</em>
</p>
<p>It folded its feathery wings close to its sides, standing up a little straighter and neck releasing the tension it had been holding so carefully. Kam drew in a deep breath, forced himself to respond no matter how stupid he felt conversing with this beast.</p>
<p>“I’m…I wasn’t stealin’. I was just…I was-”</p>
<p>
  <em>You were not committing theft? Then just what were you doing?</em>
</p>
<p>“Nothin’! I swear! Was just explorin’ that’s all.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Exploring? This is my cave, my home. So not only were you thieving from me but you are also trespassing. Two crimes, little human, two crimes.</em>
</p>
<p>Before Kam could muse on how effortlessly the dragon spoke, it came closer again, its strange eyes with their golden-green hue looking to stare right into his soul.</p>
<p>
  <em>You want that lovely ingot, do you not?</em> It stepped back and to the side, gesturing with its head. <em>If you want it, you’ll have to dive in and get it.</em>
</p>
<p>Kam wasn’t a great swimmer and he had no idea how deep the spring went. The mix of the blue and green deepened in their hue so he couldn’t see the bottom. He felt himself shake his head slowly and the dragon huffed.</p>
<p><em>Then you are out of luck.</em> It seemed to grin at him, oddly folded teeth flashing through the gap of where its jaws connected. </p>
<p>“I’m…sorry, alright? If you’re gonna kill me then just do it already.”</p>
<p><em>Kill you? You think that is what you deserve for your crimes?</em> Kam could only imagine that’s what he would get if it was ever revealed to the nation that he was one of the biggest thieves around. But hey, maybe the law of a dragon was different? <em>Humans write off their lives so easily.</em> The dragon seemed to declare more to itself than to Kam, but its attention snapped back to him in a flash. <em>So you want to leave but you cannot get past me, so how do you think you shall leave here?</em></p>
<p>Kam’s blood thundered in his ears and his knees finally gave out. Sliding down the wall and to the ground, pride crushed by the rarest and most tactful all of creatures, he felt unwilling tears spring to his eyes.</p>
<p>“I ain’t gonna give you a sob story, ‘cause I don’t need your pity,” he spoke through gritted teeth. “But I just needed some coin alright? I was born into nothin’, got told that all my life but I’m not nothin’, even if I’m a dirty rotten thief, I’m still somethin’, still a person.” Kam sighed, feeling the dragon’s gaze on him like the weight of a lead blanket. “I didn’t even know you were in here until I got to the bit you were sleepin’ in. Had no idea I was in a dragon’s lair, I ain’t so stupid to be going in one of those if I knew what it really was.”</p>
<p><em>I believe you,</em> the dragon replied. <em>You are the first human that has stepped foot inside for a very long time.</em></p>
<p>“Been here long then?” </p>
<p><em>Oh yes, very long indeed.</em> Kam paused, realising they were conversing in as close to a normal way as one could when still under threat.</p>
<p>“Look, you’re a dragon, I’m just a human which ain’t much in comparison. I don’t want the ingot, keep it, I just wanna get outta here alive and…intact.” He made sure to add that last bit in case the dragon got any funny ideas about being too literal. After all, there were pieces of your body you could live without.</p>
<p>The dragon said nothing, simply blinking slowly and watching Kam for so long the silence began to grow uncomfortable.</p>
<p>“I just wanna go home, please,” his voice dropping to a whisper, Kam hung his head. “I’ll do anythin’, please just let me go.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Anything?</em>
</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>
  <em>You said you’ll do anything. Do you mean that?</em>
</p>
<p>“Umm,” suddenly Kam wasn’t so sure. But what other choice did he have? He wasn’t a knight, wasn’t a brave noble with a sword and shield. “…yes.”</p>
<p>Kam was sure if a dragon could smile and look somewhat smug, this one would have.</p>
<p><em>Wonderful.</em> Its great head turned towards the exit and it sniffed the air. <em>The winds have changed and they bring a storm, best you stay here until it passes.</em> It didn’t leave any room for argument as it shuffled and resettled its wings and began making its way past him to a smaller passageway Kam had completely missed on coming in. Drooling its flaming saliva onto the floor to light the way, Kam stood and feeling somewhat like he was dreaming, he followed the dragon to wherever it was leading him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Whereas the entire cave system was its lair, this new smaller cave most definitely made up the dragon’s actual nest. Mosses, dried grasses, animal furs and hides made up most of the area against the wall with the leftover remains of a fire pit in the centre, back from the times the pirates would compile their treasure in one section and rest in another. There were even pots and pans and other human items that had been neatly arranged to one side, out of the way. Some stacks of books and a few rolls of parchment had been stuffed into a bookshelf that was too small for the amount of items packed into it. Did dragons read? Was that a thing?</p>
<p>A million questions bubbled within Kam as he awkwardly put his bag down and watched the dragon make themselves comfortable in the nest. It was positioned slightly higher up, leaving the over-sized reptile to eyeball Kam as he stood there looking as lost as he felt. Again, this section of the cave was well lit, the fire pit helping chase away the shadows that the wall sconces couldn’t alone. </p>
<p>“I’m Kam, by the way,” he cleared his throat, shifting from foot to foot and kicking tiny rocks beneath his boots. “I guess…thanks for not killing me?” He tried to make it a joke but it sounded a lot better in his head. However, the dragon cocked their head in a doglike way before responding.</p>
<p>
  <em>I am Falán.</em>
</p>
<p>Kam wasn’t sure he could even pronounce that without stumbling over the vowels and the elegant way it rolled off the tongue.</p>
<p>“Fancy name.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank you, I like yours also. Is it a substitute for something longer?</em>
</p>
<p>“I guess, I don’t use it ever though.” Kam didn’t explain what it was short for and was glad when Falán didn’t press the question further. Deciding to take a seat next to the fire on a little wooden stool, Kam gave in to his curiosity of asking the questions fizzling under his skin.</p>
<p>“Is this the place the pirates would store their stash?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes. Though not all of that was stashed by them specifically.</em>
</p>
<p>“How come you live here by yourself?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Dragons do not live in communal groups like humans do. We meet only when we need to.</em>
</p>
<p>“Can you read all these books?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes.</em>
</p>
<p>Kam’s questioning fired off in different directions until Falán finally stopped him.</p>
<p>
  <em>I admit, it has been a long time since I have company to speak with, but never have I been asked so many questions continuously.</em>
</p>
<p>“Oh! Sorry, I guess I’m kinda freakin’ out a bit here. Never met a dragon before and I thought you were gonna eat me for sure back there so…” He trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed.</p>
<p>
  <em>I do not eat humans.</em>
</p>
<p>“Well, that’s great to hear.” That didn’t mean Falán couldn’t do other things to Kam that would cause him harm or suffering. </p>
<p>However, the dragon did nothing. They answered Kam’s questions and asked some of their own. They watched as Kam ate the dried meats and one of the apples, eyes never leaving him as he removed his coat and boots and tried to get more comfortable. Wherever Kam moved to, he felt the heavy gaze of Falán on him like a hawk that had spotted a rodent in the grass, miles below its aerial position. However, it didn’t make Kam as nervous as he expected it would. Sure, it was a little unnerving at first, but when Falán did nothing to show any aggression or hostility, Kam relaxed a little. If he was getting himself in for a surprise attack later, he would only have himself to blame.</p>
<p>The day went on and turned in dusk and the storm did not relent. Kam could hear it even from the depths of the cave.</p>
<p>
  <em>The winds this high up are especially fierce as they have little restriction, nothing to hold them back so they blow freely, yet nothing for them to destroy, so they are angered. A mountain cannot fall to the elements, only be shaped by them.</em>
</p>
<p>Kam decided, right then, that he would never get tired of listening to Falán speak. It was so eloquent, the words so carefully thought of before they were spoken out loud. Kam had heard nobles and rich people speak like that, never thought he would appreciate the way it sounded, but when Falán did that weird mind connection and Kam heard their melodious voice ring in the deepest parts of his mind, he decided he could listen to it for the rest of life and appreciate the perfect way they put sentences together.</p>
<p>When night finally fell and Kam was struggling to keep his eyes open, Falán offered him the nest, watching as Kam carefully climbed to the higher level after a moment’s hesitation. It was warm, so warm here and Kam decided it was predominantly from the body of a creature who could spit and breathe fire. The dragon climbed out, giving Kam his space and effectively swapping places. It was only when the dragon thought him asleep, that Kam peeked an eye open and got a really good look at his mystical companion. </p>
<p>His estimate of physical size comparing them to a draught horse seemed to ring true. Falán’s head came to just above Kam when both of them stood up straight. The pale green scales were like that of the grass just before spring, trying to push through the cold but not yet having the strength to do so. Their skin was so thin, so delicate looking, as if the smallest scratch would leave a bloody mark but Kam doubted that was the case. Each of Falán’s four legs ended in feet that looked much like those belonging to an eagle, yet a little more muscular and clearly meant for walking on longer than the birds of prey would do. Their wings, an off-white tipped in the same strange mix of yellow and green as their eyes, further reminded Kam of graceful avian predators with their pointed dagger-like tips. But the rest of Falán was very much reptilian; their body was lithe with defined muscle and restrained strength, shoulder blades and hips ever so slightly visible as they moved, head like a serpent, pointed and smooth. Feathers matching those of their wings ran down from the nape of Falán’s head where they flared like a crest before lining the back of their neck and spreading outwards from their shoulders to merge seamlessly into mighty wings. The dorsal stripe of feathers continued all the way down the dragon’s body into the tail, where they ended a couple of feet before the tip of it. Falán’s tail was extremely dexterous, was able to pick things up with it as nimbly as Kam could do so with his fingers and admired the way the silver chain glinted around it as if they were a wealthy woman in the castle showing off her latest jewel.</p>
<p>Overall, it seemed as though an eagle and a snake had been mashed together.</p>
<p>To his surprise, Falán re-joined Kam in the nest in what he could only guess was the middle of the night. The fire pit had been extinguished hours ago, the withering embers the only indication it had been lit at all. The dragon was so careful, minding claws and limbs triple the size of Kam’s own as they moved themselves into the nest to situate behind Kam, half curled around him. The cave had gotten cold in the night with the sconces and fire pit quenched, it was the chill in Kam’s body that had initially woken him up to seek some warmth. It just so happened to be at the same time Falán made themselves comfortable just a few feet away. The hearth that was their core with the lungs that inhaled air and exhaled flame, smouldering gently inside their body, was more than enough to warm Kam up without needing a blanket for the rest of the night.</p>
<p>When morning came, Kam tried not to look too eager when he packed his bag and prepared to leave, still unsure what Falán wanted in exchange. The dragon had said nothing about it with the exception of an eventual reward, had picked their teeth with a talon like Kam had seen people do with a small stick. Watched them yawn and stretch like cats did after a nap. For lack of a better word, they looked smug, like they knew something Kam didn’t and it pissed him off.</p>
<p>“What?” Kam huffed, relenting after several minutes of glibness from Falán’s side.</p>
<p>
  <em>I apologise, I did not mean to irritate you.</em>
</p>
<p>“You’ve been starin’ at me almost nonstop since I got here. What in gods’ name is so damn interestin’?” He half yelled it, instantly regretting it when Falán simply shuffled closer, nostrils flaring.</p>
<p>
  <em>You smell…different. Physically you are one thing but your scent tells me you are another. I have never encountered this before.</em>
</p>
<p>Oh. Right.</p>
<p>“Yeah well, that’s just how I am. I’m both, I’m neither, whatever people think about it, I don’t really care. Whatever it is, I’m still Kam.”</p>
<p><em>Yes, you are.</em> Falán came closer still so their snout was within touching distance. <em>It does not matter to me. A name is something powerful, something nobody can ever take from you.</em> They butted their nose against Kam’s stomach, enough strength behind it that he had to brace himself against it. Oddly, he wasn’t afraid, only curious. So he raised a hand and waited for it to be bitten off, but Falán did no such thing. Instead, they moved their snout right into Kam’s palm. </p>
<p>A gasp escaped him, much to his chagrin, but his annoyance quickly diminished when he came to realisation that he was petting a dragon. Falán’s snout was rough but got smoother when Kam’s hand travelled up between his eyes.</p>
<p><em>I smell no fear in you. Are you not afraid?</em> Voicing Kam’s thoughts, the dragon tilted their head inquisitively. </p>
<p>“All humans die eventually. It’s as you said, some throw their lives away too easily but not me. I never would’ve come here if I knew you were here the whole time, I value my life,” Kam drew in a breath, moving his hand even higher to caress the feathers sprouting from Falán’s head. “But right now? I value this.”</p>
<p><em>You are smarter than you give credit for, Kam.</em> Falán seemed to sigh into the touch on their head, a deep thrum within their body vibrating up Kam’s arm. But he was unsure of what to do next, unsure of what he intended by touching Falán in such a way, so he withdrew. If the dragon looked disappointed, they hid it well. </p>
<p>The storm outside had left a thick layer of snow on the ground, winter coming early when you were so many metres above sea level. Kam’s patience wore thin as the sun moved across the sky of a nimbus grey. It was too cold and too dangerous to try and navigate the path down now. Kam would surely die of hypothermia if his pride didn’t crush him first. The old lady who he had seen had cryptically said the way down was easier, but now with white as far as he could see, he decided she was clearly full of shit.</p>
<p>Kam backed away from the cave’s mouth and away from the wind that whispered the promise of freezing the water of his eyes. He hit a solid mass, initially thinking he had caught himself on one of those rocks, Kam didn’t think much of it until the <em>rock</em> shifted and he realised he had backed into Falán. With the dragon’s head above him, Kam was able to look straight up while green-gold eyes looked down at him. It sent a shiver down his spine, an involuntary movement, an unconscious act. Falán had such piercing eyes. Kam felt as if they were looking right through him.</p>
<p>Quickly pulling away and spinning on his heel, Kam turned to face the calculating dragon before him, a heat spreading through him under the intensity of those eyes.</p>
<p>“It’s been just over a day and you still haven’t told me what you want,” Kam stated, crossing his arms over his chest. “You said everybody wants something, so tell me what you want, dragon.” Kam let his frustration bubble and burst, pushing up and outwards from his puffed chest and throwing it at Falán. He needed answers, he might stick to the shadows for a profession but this was getting ridiculous.</p>
<p><em>Well, since you are being so forthright. Follow me.</em> Falán seemed taken aback somewhat, surprised almost as they turned and carefully made sure not to catch their tail on Kam’s head as they moved. Kam didn’t know what “forthright” meant, was about to voice his question as he followed Falán back into the section of the cave where the nest was built when the dragon continued.</p>
<p><em>I knew humans could be forward in their desires, yet you surprise me so.</em> They gestured for Kam to follow them, up into the nest. Nerves suddenly clenched in Kam’s gut, twisting with a bizarre heat that curled up his spine. What was Falán getting at here? Slowly, he joined the dragon, lingering at the edge of the nest where he seemed to feel most at ease for the moment. With those eyes on him again, Kam felt naked even when fully clothed.</p>
<p>“What…what do you want?” He had a suspicion and wondered if the darkest part of his mind rang true for once and with the way Falán was looking at him, the heat in his belly flared brighter.</p>
<p><em>Dragons want many things, often which we cannot gain. However, we live long lives. Lonely lives when compared to yours.</em> They moved closer like they had done earlier in the day, head stooping to come eye level with Kam. <em>You want to leave, yet the storm prevents you, so we must wait here together. Alone.</em> Closer still, until both of Kam’s hands came up instinctively but whether to halt the dragon’s advance or caress its smooth skin once more, Kam wasn’t sure. Falán’s tongue flicked out, tasting the air. <em>You said you would do anything, but how much is a human’s word worth?</em></p>
<p>“I always keep my word.” Kam managed to breathe out, voice whisper quiet and ragged like he had been screaming. Maybe he was about to be.</p>
<p><em>As do I.</em> Falán’s nuzzled their nose into the crook of Kam’s neck and the burning heat that had been building crested, fanned outwards like a forest fire and the slightest moan broke free from his chest before he could stop it. So Falán wanted to mess around…Kam could play that game.</p>
<p>“Falán…what are you doing?” Kam questioned the dragon as he felt it move behind eyes that had fallen closed, felt the dragon’s snout trace over his collarbone, his chest, over his stomach and below his navel. Warm air that originated from a furnace within drifted over Kam and he shivered.</p>
<p>
  <em>What does it feel like I am doing? Tell me.</em>
</p>
<p>“Feels like a fire…feels like you’re settin’ me on fire.”</p>
<p><em>In a sense, perhaps I am.</em> When Falán nudged the hem of his shirt, Kam allowed the garment to be carefully removed in one fell swoop. Almost without thinking about it, Kam had raised his arms and allowed it to happen. Which just left one major piece of clothing left.</p>
<p>They quickly followed, Falán wasting no time as a single talon hooked the waistband of his trousers, undergarments and all, pulling them down and exposing Kam to the slightly chilly afternoon air within the cave. The shiver returned and for a moment, Kam wanted to cower away and cover himself as his naked body was revealed. He hardly ever showed himself like this, the last tryst several months back was a quick and easy fuck against a wall, no clothes had needed to come off in the way they had done so now. But when Kam opened his eyes, ready to protest, he saw no judgement in Falán’s eyes, only admiration.</p>
<p><em>You,</em> they murmured, <em>are exquisite. I wonder if you taste as good as you smell?</em></p>
<p>Before Kam could get the wrong assumption on that statement, he felt Falán’s tongue, slick and wet, lick up the inside of his thigh and he cried out more from initial surprise before the action was repeated. It poured fuel to the fire in Kam’s belly and he moaned, head lolling back on his shoulders. He had never felt anything like this before, nothing as intense that made him so wet and so <em>quickly</em> as that.</p>
<p>“Lie down, let me lie down.” Kam spoke his thoughts and took a step forward into Falán’s space as he moved away from the nest’s edge and made to lie down. But before Falán could reassume their ministrations, Kam caught the dragon’s head with both hands. “Promise…promise you won’t hurt me? I don’t-” </p>
<p>
  <em>I am not going to hurt you, pretty human. You might scream but it will only be in pleasure.</em>
</p>
<p>Hot damn, where did Falán learn to speak like that? Bolts of arousal stabbed southward and Kam moaned again, parting his thighs and releasing his hold on scales of green as Falán continued the firm licks of their wide hot tongue up Kam’s thigh. Halfway up his left, they switched to the right until suddenly, that tongue was on him, <em>inside</em> him. Kam couldn’t hold back the scream or the arching of his back. It felt <em>so good</em>, better than anything Kam had ever felt before from a human and Falán’s tongue being several times longer, was able to reach into Kam’s depths with ease. Kam pushed his hips back, increasing the pressure and he heard the dragon sigh which only blew warm air over his nether regions. Kam could already feel the pressure building, embarrassingly fast if he had to admit, but Falán was relentless in drawing the sounds from Kam’s mouth, persistent in their pursuit of pushing Kam over the edge. When the cresting wave finally crashed over, Kam screamed, head thrown back as he rode it with everything he had.</p>
<p>Falán drew back, looking extremely satisfied with themselves when Kam opened his eyes to look at the dragon. “Where…where did you learn to do that?” He gasped the question out, drawing his legs together a little. “You done this before or what?”</p>
<p>Falán tilted their head. <em>A long time ago now, but it is enjoyable to see I still have the ability to make a human feel good.</em> They came closer, head lowered and snaking over Kam’s knees. He wasn’t sure he could do much else right now but lay there boneless and panting while those enchanting eyes roamed over him. <em>So well, pretty human, you did so well. I am certain you will do even better for the next part.</em></p>
<p>Oh, that’s right, Falán hadn’t exactly gotten off yet. Kam looked into Falán’s eyes, searching them for any deceit but he saw nothing. “The next part huh? I get you.” Kam spread his legs again, curiosity mixed with apprehension twirling in his gut which made him look down to see what he would be working with. Remarkably, and much to Kam’s relief, Falán’s cock was mostly human shaped with the exceptions of a slightly flared tip in that bulbous head and being at least as long as his forearm. It was a darker pink than a human’s and seemed to drop between Falán’s hips from a slit that opened around it, the scales parting carefully. Falán did not seem to have any testicles which made Kam wonder just what the deal was there, but he didn’t have the bravado to ask the question. Not when coiling arousal stirred inside him in such a way he groaned at the sight of what Falán was offering. The dragon had hoisted him up, lifting Kam by waist with their tail that delicately coiled around him to position him on a mossy edge of the nest. The cave wall at his back was likewise covered in the same spongy vegetation and when he settled into it, grateful for the way it sloped back, Kam found himself in a half sitting up position, ideal for using gravity to guide his weight down.</p>
<p>Falán was practically purring, a deep sound that seemed to resonate into Kam as his waist was released, the tail unwrapping itself and disappearing back behind Falán’s bulk.</p>
<p>“Be careful, please,” Kam heard himself whisper. “It’s been…a while.” It was no lie, it really had been a while. Too long at that and with a clearer mind it might have told Kam that it had been long enough that jumping on a cock that big probably wasn’t the best idea. But Kam ignored the niggling feeling of worry, strangely confident in the belief that Falán was not going to hurt him.</p>
<p><em>You will come to no harm with me, Kam.</em> Voicing his conviction, it felt oddly satisfying to hear his name said with such vigour running through it. Without further ago, Falán positioned themselves, the head of their cock rubbing between Kam’s folds, slicking itself on the wetness that did not seem to end. Kam didn’t think he had ever been so aroused in his life, not even during the not so recent time against a wall with the danger of being caught a very likely thing. But he hadn’t been caught then and he wasn’t going to be caught by anyone now. It was just him and Falán.</p>
<p>The dragon was cautious and slow, perhaps overly so as Kam got used to the feeling of being split open by the biggest thing he had ever taken. His walls clenched and unclenched around Falán which drew pleased sighs from the dragon, encouraging them to push in another inch. As Kam suspected, he couldn’t take the whole thing, not without injuring himself, which left perhaps a couple of inches spare at the base of Falán’s cock. But the dragon didn’t seem to mind as it spared a glance down to check before picking up the pace. Kam quickly caught up with it, dropping his hips back like he had planned to do the moment he was positioned where he was.</p>
<p><em>I knew it,</em> Falán breathed, <em>I knew you would feel so good, so tight and wet.</em> Kam would protest, preferred his partners to not speak and just get on with it but he couldn’t with Falán. The words had the opposite effect and simply urged Kam on to do better, to rock his hips to meet the upward thrusts, to clench when he felt Falán pull back out. His legs had come to grip the dragon around its middle, his arms grasping Falán’s front legs that were either side of his head. Unsure of where to put his hands, Kam let them come up to touch the smoother scales of Falán’s underside. They were not as rough as those rubbing against his thighs, the scales there more akin to a snake with the way they only grew in one direction and were warm to the touch. He raked his hands down them and back up, relishing in the resistance they offered and Falán shuddered, their hips rolling up in a smooth glide inside Kam with how stimulated he was. Kam threw his head back, eyes rolling and mouth agape as a particularly deep thrust had Falán so far inside him, he felt a momentary twinge of pain. The dragon noticed, slowed down but went just as deep. <em>Do you feel that?</em> They asked and Kam opened his eyes, forcing his head to stop arching back to regard the dragon. Without realising, at the statement Falán had made he had brought a hand to rest below navel. <em>Yes that is it, that is where I am, how far deep inside you I can go.</em> Kam groaned, he was right at the edge now, the steady motion catching on everything and fanning the fire building once more.</p>
<p>Kam thought back to his answer to Falán’s prior question; he really did feel like he was on fire. Falán could choose this moment to set him alight and the experience would be nothing in comparison to the heat in his veins right now.</p>
<p>“Fuck! I’m close, keep going deep. I wanna’ feel it.” Kam urged Falán on and it only took a handful of thrusts for Kam to be thrown over the edge for a second time. His voice was going hoarse, he could feel it happening with the way his throat was scratchy and dry, every moan and cry making it worse but he couldn’t stop himself. Kam clenched hard on the aftershocks, relishing the way Falán’s cock seemed to help them along, making him twitch and groan and writhe in place.</p>
<p>But Falán didn’t pull out, they simply slowed right down, their cock a gentle heavy weight deep inside Kam.</p>
<p><em>I need your help with something, Kam.</em> Falán whispered in his mind, enveloping his senses behind closed eyes. Kam kept them closed as he reached out blindly with both hands, finding the smooth scales of Falán’s head under his fingers.</p>
<p>“My help?”</p>
<p>
<em>Yes, you are young and fertile, you are perfect for what I need. Perfect for what I shall give you.</em> Kam wasn’t sure he was hearing correctly, heartbeat too erratic and making the blood rush in his eardrums.
</p>
<p>
“What are you going to give me?”
</p>
<p>
Falán didn’t immediately reply, instead pushing forwards enough that the tip of his cock was resting against Kam’s cervix. It made his nerve endings buzz, surprising himself with how much he liked the sensation, hips rocking back a little to increase the pressure.
</p>
<p>
“You wanna come in me? Do it, I’ll let you.” Falán practically raised a brow at Kam, head tilting. “It’s what you wanna give me, right? I’m sure I can take it.” Kam gripped his legs tighter around Falán’s middle. “Ugh, you feel so good inside me,” he whined, rutting against the dragon. “Don’t stop until you blow. Fill me up.”
</p>
<p>
 <em>Wonderful, now keep still.</em>
</p>
<p>
“What? Why must I-” Kam’s breath was cut off, the air pushing from his lungs as Falán’s tail returned to coil around his chest and under almost non-existent breasts. The light in the cave was blocked by huge wings that unfurled and closed over them both, a canopy of feathers above Kam as Falán crowded his vision and made it difficult to see. With one sense compromised, the others worked on overtime to catch up, his senses of touch and feel the only things really working at their best.
</p>
<p>
Something solid and round butted up against his entrance, perhaps a little smaller than his fist. It fought to get past his rim, forcing it wider than he was already spread around the cock still wedged inside him. Kam gasped, body instinctively bearing down on it which seemed to ease its passage and it slipped past, proceeding to travel further up Falán’s cock to the tip. It felt incredible, despite his mind trying and failing to process what was happening which should have made him worry. The twinge of pain, a slight burn, made itself known again as whatever it was about to leave Falán and enter Kam through his cervix which was making every attempt to get through. Kam had felt it move all the way up, spreading him wide on the inside the same way it had done when entering his hole.
</p>
<p>
Kam opened his mouth to speak but nothing but cries of ecstasy came out as the orb, bulb, <em>egg,</em> slid through his cervix when he bore down against it, falling free inside him and settling in his womb. Falán groaned, rocked forward again as a second egg dropped into their cock to deposit inside Kam.
</p>
<p>
 “Falán…what’s…wh-what’s happenin?” Kam managed to croak out as the second egg joined the first in the deepest part of him. On his already slim form, he could already feel a slight bulge forming.
</p>
<p>
    <em>You, my pretty human, are doing what you said you would do, what we agreed upon.</em>
</p>
<p>
 “I am?”
</p>
<p>
  <em>Oh yes, you did say you would do anything.</em>
</p>
<p>
A third orgasm wracked through Kam, making him a babbling mess as the failed protests turned into cries of pleasure. It didn’t hurt, not really, and Kam wasn’t idiot enough to not realise that Falán was laying eggs in him. He did say he would do anything, he always keeps his word and now this was where it had gotten him.
</p>
<p>
  <em>No harm will come to you,</em> Falán groaned again as a third and fourth egg followed in quick succession. <em>You are taking them so well.</em> Kam felt himself flush at the praise, overstimulated and in need of a bath and a nap.
</p>
<p>
“It…it feels good,” he admitted, “What will happen to them?”
</p>
<p>
  <em>All in good time, Kam. All in good time.</em>
</p>
<p>
  With that said, Kam let his legs fall as wide as they would go, relaxing in the scaly embrace much to Falán’s pleasure. A fifth and sixth egg made themselves known and Kam felt the moment they fell inside him, carefully counting, joining the others and taking up more space in his womb. Finally, the dragon tensed, going still as they finally came in hot bursts. The tip of their cock was pressed flush against Kam’s cervix, their seed having nowhere to go but to rush into his womb and cover the eggs.
</p>
<p>
  Just as quickly as it had begun, Falán ceased all movement but didn’t immediately pull out. Their wings dropped, tail loosening around Kam’s middle and as the light filtered into his vision, Kam bit his lip in mixed awe and terror at the sight of himself. He wasn’t huge per say, but where he had already been skinny before, it looked as though he had swallowed one of balls that he had seen kids kick around the alleyways. A football? Yes, that was the word for it. Gracefully curving out then sloping back in, Kam pressed his hands against the mound and gasped when he felt the eggs shift easily within.
</p>
<p>
  <em>Let them settle a little, find their places. When they do, it is possible you may shrink a little.</em> Falán slowly and carefully eased themselves out before helping Kam down. He instantly collapsed onto his side, trying to calm his heartbeat and steady his breathing. As he suspected, nothing came out of him even though he clenched on instinct. He felt heavy, not just in his belly but in all four of his limbs and even in his head, as though every part of him was made of lead.
</p>
<p>
  “Fuck, I’m tired.” He didn’t mean to voice his thoughts out loud, but they came out anyway. For the countless time that day, Falán filled his vision, pulling some animal furs over him and covering his nudity.
</p>
<p>
  <em>Thank you, pretty one. It has been a long time since I have done that.</em> Green gold eyes blinked at him, almost sparkling in the dim light. <em>Rest now, I will be here when you wake.</em>
</p>
<p>
  Kam, even with a lethal creature next to him and its young in his belly, had never fallen asleep so fast.
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Holy hell those emphasis tags were a bitch to edit into the right places lol. Please let me know if it looks like I missed any; I spent about 20 minutes double checking everything but eventually, you go word-blind :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>
  <em>Hello, Kam.</em>
</p>
<p>“Hello, Falán.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Shall we go?</em>
</p>
<p>“We shall.” He began to walk past the dragon but a scaly and feathered tail stopped him.</p>
<p><em>I am afraid I must insist that we fly. The weather has been unkind once more to my mountain and the path up it is dangerous and cold.</em> Without allowing Kam to continue, they dropped low, legs bending under them and wings help up and out of the way. Kam swallowed.</p>
<p>“Please don’t fly fast, I think I might actually scream and I never scream. So it will sound awful.”</p>
<p>An amused look crossed Falán’s face. <em>Of course, you will always be safe with me.</em></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crackling of fire and the smell of cooking meat was what pulled Kam from the embrace a sleep so deep he didn’t want to leave it. He was comfortable, warm and sated in a way he couldn’t recall ever being before. When Kam opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of the fire pit, strips of meat slowly charcoaling over an timeworn grill that could only have been placed there by the pirates of the old days. The fire’s gentle crackle was something familiar, the light it cast soothing. A shuffle to his right drew Kam’s attention and he caught sight of Falán. The dragon didn’t seem to notice that he was awake yet, so he watched as they preened the feathers of their left wing. Falán would lick a bunch of feathers then proceed to delicately run them through their front teeth, moving them into place and tidying any imperfections. To Kam, it seemed a strange mix of self-cleaning like that of a both a bird and a cat.</p>
<p>As he watched, Kam couldn’t help but admire the creature several feet away. His knowledge of dragons was extremely limited to what he had heard in stories or legends, but he was sure he had never heard of one to have feathers before. He chalked it down to there simply being countless different breeds of them and tried not to think of the fact that humans were compatible with dragons in the most primal of ways.</p>
<p>Kam’s internal musings were abruptly halted when he went to sit up and had difficulty doing so, the memories of what he had done crashing down on him like a wave. Lifting the blanket of furs, he looked down at the swell of his stomach, feeling his heart pick up the pace and breathing quicken. Don’t freak, don’t freak out, do <em>not</em> freak out!</p>
<p><em>You are awake,</em> Falán was quick to approach, almost reaching out with a talon as if to touch Kam but stopped halfway. <em>How do you feel?</em></p>
<p>“Umm…fine, I guess?” He suddenly felt awkward, like awaking the next morning after a one night stand and desiring to make the quickest and quietest exit possible. “So, what happens now? Care to explain now that you have what you want?” If he didn’t know better, Kam almost thought the expression on Falán’s face was…hurt. It was fleeting, gone as quick as it had appeared.</p>
<p>The dragon did explain, no details spared.</p>
<p>
  <em>The eggs will take approximately forty days to develop before they are ready to be laid. That is around six weeks to put it another way and a similar amount of time before they hatch. When they do, dragon young are not particularly maternal, they shall not nurse like a human infant and will be walking within hours and flying within days. It is imperative to our survival that we develop quickly. At least, in the beginning.</em>
</p>
<p>Such quick development, like that of a prey animal which dragons were most definitely not. He remembered seeing the mares in the castle’s stables give birth to gangly foals and the un-coordinated babies would be standing within an hour of being born, juxtaposed to humans who couldn’t do much in the way of survive for <em>years</em> before they became strong or intelligent enough to function properly. </p>
<p>However, there was one thing that had Kam borderline panicking…</p>
<p>“Six weeks? Six weeks! What am I gonna do for six weeks! I have a job, I have friends who will think I’ve fuckin’ died! Not to mention, and I’m sorry to say, but they do know where I headed off to and will likely come lookin’ for me which means there’s the chance your whole gig here will be up.” During Falán’s explanation, Kam had gotten dressed, refused the aid of the dragon’s side to lean against as he grew accustomed to the new weight inside him, and was now flailing his arms around and pacing like a caged animal. “This is crazy, I’ve lost my mind. I’ve seen what they do to crazy people in the city, and I tell you, it ain’t nothin’ good!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Calm yourself, Kam. This is not crazy and you have not lost your mind. You are panicking and you must relax-</em>
</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me to fuckin’ <em>relax!</em> I knew this wouldn’t end well, I knew it. Now I’m stuck here and can’t go back and my life ain’t ever gonna be the same again and…and I…” Kam rambled, voice increasing in pitch as he paced and paced and was talking to himself rather than Falán. The dragon stayed silent, allowed Kam to have his moment of hysteria. It would have continued for far longer had one of the eggs not shifted, its slight weight making its five other siblings also move and Kam gasped, doubling over and dropping to his knees in the fur blankets. Wrapping his hands around his stomach and feeling them there, pressing back and not going anywhere for weeks now, Kam could not hold in the tears had quickly formed and flowed down his cheeks. A sob followed before he could stop and then, he was crying. He hadn’t cried in a long time, years ago at least, and he couldn’t even remember what it had been for. Kam had learned quickly that the world was a relatively unkind place and people would do pretty much anything in order to survive; actions first, consequences later. No tears.</p>
<p>It was exactly the position he was in now. Almost.</p>
<p>Falán had crept closer, head low like a scolded dog. <em>Please listen to me, Kam, they began, I did not mean to upset you. I should have explained what I had planned beforehand, but would you have said yes? I think not.</em></p>
<p>“So you chose the moment I couldn’t say ‘no’, huh?” Kam snapped, biting his lip to keep from sobbing. At his question, Falán visibly flinched.</p>
<p><em>It was not my intention…I am truly sorry. I let the lack of contact with another sapient being overwhelm me. I did not want to let the opportunity pass me by.</em> Falán sighed, their sides heaving and puffs of smoke blowing from their nostrils. <em>I have always been weak in the face of such beauty, it is my flaw.</em></p>
<p>“Beauty? What?” Kam looked up, searching the dragon’s eyes and unused to seeing such human emotions in a non-human face.</p>
<p>
  <em>You are beautiful, Kam. Has nobody ever told you so?</em>
</p>
<p>“No, they haven’t. What are you up to now? You tryin’ to butter me up or something?” </p>
<p><em>Butter…you up? I would do no such thing.</em> The idiom clearly went straight over Falán’s head and Kam felt laughter bubbling in his chest and quickly replacing the sobs. It burst forth when he watched Falán mull over what he had actually said, seemingly unable to grasp it. For all their fancy words and clear way of speaking, of course it made sense that such a lowly expression wouldn’t make much sense to a haughty creature. At Kam’s laughter, Falán relaxed and they tilted their head at him.</p>
<p>“Well, shit. This is just several barrels worth of miscommunication, huh?”</p>
<p>
  <em>I would agree. Though, it is mostly my fault.</em>
</p>
<p>“Yes…but also, no. I guess I didn’t-” Kam felt heat crawl up the back of his neck as he remembered the way he had moaned and gasped in rapture. And what pleasure it had been. “I guess I didn’t exactly scream and beg you to stop either.”</p>
<p>
  <em>If you had done so, I would have ceased at once. I know that may not mean much now the eggs are inside you, but I hope you believe me all the same.</em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah, I do.” Kam reached out and Falán instantly moved their nose into his palm. It was warm, much more so than it had been last time and as Falán sighed again, more smoke from their nostrils drifted upwards towards the cave’s ceiling.</p>
<p><em>I have a plan, about what to do to help you.</em> </p>
<p>“Oh yeah? I’m all ears.”</p>
<p>
  <em>It is risky.</em>
</p>
<p>“You did see me try and take that ingot from under your nose, right?” Kam smirked when Falán paused.</p>
<p>
  <em>True. Well then, my plan would involve taking you back down the mountain for a week so you can sort your affairs out before returning here on the seventh day. Once the eggs are laid, you do not have to stay. I can take care of them from there.</em>
</p>
<p>Just seven days, one week, didn’t sound like a lot of time to then go missing for a further five weeks and then re-appear like nothing had ever happened. Disappearing off for weeks at a time from the rest of the gang on a mission to steal something fancy would be the easy part; it had taken Alec three weeks to just get one vase with all the planning that it had involved. Surely he could just <em>lie</em> to them? No, not lie. Stretch the truth; that was the better term. Kam didn’t know why he felt a strange sense of loyalty to the day job side of things. It was just a façade, nothing more, but it was one he had created and kept up the entire time. To simply abandon it had Kam irritated for no other reason than his pride would be dented because he “quit”. He wasn’t a slave, he could walk away any time he wanted.</p>
<p>Steeling his resolve, Kam nodded. “Thank you, that’s…that’s nice of you to trust me like that. With them.” He rested one hand to his belly and Falán watched the movement, hesitating for only a moment before they touched their nose to it as well.</p>
<p>
  <em>You are not being used just for this, as a host with a job to do, you are their mother. It is very likely they will take after you in their personality, your sandy hair may show up in their scales, your eyes of such deep brown might be reflected back at you.</em>
</p>
<p>“Wow,” Kam was not expecting that at all. “Heh, if they take after me, you’re in trouble.”</p>
<p><em>I wonder if they will adopt your way of speaking?</em> Falán pondered more to themselves than to Kam.</p>
<p>“Hey! What’s wrong with the way I speak?”</p>
<p><em>Nothing at all, it is most charming.</em> Falán touched their nose to Kam’s cheek before sitting up.</p>
<p>In the same conversation, Kam had found himself called two things that he never thought he would ever be called in his life. But here he was, apparently beautiful and charming and knocked up but safe and hopefully, going to be rich at the end of this. Not that that mattered. At all.</p>
<p>“Alright, alright, enough chat,” Kam could feel his cheeks heating under the praise, so he pushed Falán’s head away and carefully stood up. “Let me pack my stuff up and then I guess we will go?”</p>
<p><em>Of course, take your time. I will wait by the cave’s mouth.</em> Falán watched Kam for a few moments, head cocked and pupils dilated in the dim lighting, before seeming to realise what they were doing and quickly made their exit.</p>
<p>Kam sighed deeply and looked down at himself. He could do this, it was temporary and he wasn’t going to die a horrible death or have the baby dragons claw their way out of him. He was simply going to push these things out of him in six weeks’ time and then be on his merry way.</p>
<p>At the back of his mind he wondered how on earth he was supposed to simply go on as normal afterwards, knowing that out there somewhere would be <em>dragons</em> he had helped bring into the world?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The journey down the mountain was straight forward enough now that the snow had thawed and the path became clear. Falán had immediately offered to fly them to the bottom of the mountain and land in a gap in the pine forest surrounding its base, but Kam balked at the idea. As fun as flying on the back of a dragon sounded, it didn’t look very <em>safe.</em></p>
<p>So instead, Kam insisted on walking back to the trade post and continuing onwards until he reached the bottom. He found the situation particularly hilarious when Falán then offered to escort him until he reached the trading post and knew he would be safe from there, the dragon simply breathing hot air onto any snow that refused to budge to help clear the way.</p>
<p>
  <em>Are you quite certain you do not wish to fly? It will be much faster.</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m sure it is, but nah, no way. Thanks, though.” Kam did not mention the fact that heights made his head spin and he had a feeling Falán already suspected as much with the side eye he was getting, but thankfully they said nothing further on it.</p>
<p>When Kam did reach the city, bidding Falán a short but temporary goodbye, he found himself often looking over his shoulder at the mountain peak. All this time, not only was there piles of wealth just sitting about, but an ancient dragon the likes of which had not been seen for centuries was sitting on all that wealth and claiming it for their own. Kam wondered if that made the kingdom either lucky to have such a creature nearby that did not feast on human flesh or incredibly foul of luck that riches more than anyone could imagine was several hundred feet above them, doing nothing at all but looking nice.</p>
<p>He made a beeline for the green door in the alley, in dire need of a bath and a decent meal that had not been almost burnt to a crisp. His coat, suitably large and padded out to protect from the freezing winds, was now hiding the evidence of his tryst with the dragon. Falán had been true to their word once again and that now the eggs had clearly gotten comfortable in their own way, his stomach had shrunk in size, even though it was only a little. Kam hoped it would be enough, but thanked whatever gods might exist who controlled the weather that it had taken a turn for the worst. Everyone in the city was dressed like he was, meaning he could use the layers of clothing as an excuse for hiding his secret.</p>
<p>Greta was pleased to see him in her own unique and gruff way, but it was the rest of the gang who jostled and hugged Kam in his return. He was careful to keep his lower body held back a touch.</p>
<p>“I knew you could do it,” Alec clapped him on the back when it was just them in the kitchen, sipping coffee at the table like they had done just a few days ago. Although Kam had removed his coat, he had pulled his shirt loose from the waistline of his trousers, making it flow easily around him. “Get anythin’ good? Tell me everythin’!” Kam doubted very much that even if he was to spill the beans to Alec, he would definitely not want to hear it. So he stretched the truth, simply revealed the coin he had found in the entrance of the cave and that the rest of it had been blocked off due to rocks collapsing and sealing it off for good. When he finished, Alec sulked in his seat. “Shit, I was hopin’ there was something more than one measly coin.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, me too.” Kam lied, doing his best to look just as upset. “But hey, it wasn’t pointless, we got somethin’ and we’re gonna get paid for it. The coin is old as fuck and someone is gonna want it.” Alec agreed with him. “Although,” he began, “going off my own for a bit was nice. Was nice to just get away and take a breath and appreciate being outside the city.”</p>
<p>“I never took you for a country bumpkin, Kam.” Alec laughed.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well maybe that’s why I liked it so much. Fresh air and all that. I haven’t done anythin’ like that for a while and had me thinkin’ that I might, you know, go off on my own for a bit again.”</p>
<p>Alec cocked a brow, humming thoughtfully. There were no rules as such between the unruly bunch that Kam called his family about jobs they took on or the time it would take to complete them. A couple of the guys had once gone away for a few months at a time, across the sea to the southern lands chasing after some antique trade caravans. Theirs was just an example, even Alec had taken a few weeks at a time to get something done on several occasions.</p>
<p>“Got bitten by the solo bug, huh?” </p>
<p>“Only for now, I’ll always come back to you guys, you know that right?” </p>
<p>“Yeah, I know. I’m only messin’ with you, Kam.” Alec nudged his leg under the table. “Gimme a couple of days. I’ve heard a little bird but I wanna make sure it’s really singin’.”</p>
<p>“Sure thing.” It was the best Kam could hope for.</p>
<p>Kam had never thought himself a lucky person by default, everything that happened in his life was purely by chance. However, when the job Alec had on the books came into the light, he might have just started believing in Lady Luck a little bit. It wasn’t too complicated, but would take time and involved some groundwork of getting to know people and flashing smiles at the right faces. The amusing part of the job was that it would piss nobles off so they would yell and spit at each other in the courtroom down the line, the easy part was retrieving the items required but the most amusing bit was that what Kam needed to get were blueprints. A noble had illegally started the processing of setting up a mining town for coal on another noble’s land and wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while. He had time.</p>
<p>Kam was very glad he was not nobility, it looked very tiring indeed.</p>
<p>As he packed his things on the seventh day, Kam spared a glance around his room. Why did he feel like he was leaving for good? He had packed in his day job, deciding to sort something else out upon his return; the days of cleaning up after people were now behind him. Overall, it almost didn’t feel <em>right</em> to stay among people, among humans. They were a potential threat on a normal day but now even more so. How long did it take before dragons matured into the fire-breathing monsters they were depicted as? Kam had so many questions for Falán and he was genuinely excited to learn more about them.</p>
<p>The sun was trying its best to break through the clouds which were gaining in weight as they grew heavy with snow. The light was bleak, eerily dark already even though it was only just after the peak of the day. Kam took the essentials; clothes, some items for hygienic cleansing, a couple of books he did actually enjoy, salt, spices and herbs, a comb for his hair, a couple of apples, not that they would last very long but there was no way he was leaving his favourite fruit behind. He also grabbed a small jar of coffee, because why would you not want coffee every morning? Everything else he would have to make do without but recalled that there were plenty of human related cooking items and countless books to get acquainted with during his time with Falán. And not forgetting the dragon themselves, who seemed to be a fountain of unending knowledge enough to make the city’s scholars green with envy.</p>
<p>After reaching the edge of the city he felt better and better the closer he got to the mountain while walking to near enough the same spot Falán had left him. The sound of beating wings sounded above him before Falán dropped out the clouds, diving sharply towards the ground before they pulled up, wings flaring and throwing a gust of air towards Kam that had him shielding his eyes against the force of it. Falán landed gracefully, hind legs touching down first before his front ones followed, talons splaying and sinking into the snow.</p>
<p>
  <em>Hello, Kam.</em>
</p>
<p>“Hello, Falán.”</p>
<p>
  <em>Shall we go?</em>
</p>
<p>“We shall.” He began to walk past the dragon but a scaly and feathered tail stopped him. </p>
<p><em>I am afraid I must insist that we fly. The weather has been unkind once more to my mountain and the path up it is dangerous and cold.</em> Without allowing Kam to continue, they dropped low, legs bending under them and wings help up and out of the way. Kam swallowed. The thought of the ground disappearing rapidly underneath him to the point he couldn’t see it had his head spinning. <em>Please, let me carry your bag, it looks heavy.</em> Falán held out one leg to take it from Kam and he allowed it, resigning himself to the fact he would have to get on Falán’s back as though they were a horse. Just close your eyes, Kam thought, and it will be over quickly.</p>
<p>“Please don’t fly fast, I think I might actually scream and I never scream. So it will sound awful.”</p>
<p>An amused look crossed Falán’s face. <em>Of course, you will always be safe with me.</em></p>
<p>Kam had only ridden a horse a handful of times and he hadn’t been great at it, unable to tell the animal what he had wanted it to do without it getting confused and doing the opposite. However, all he had to do now was hold on.</p>
<p>Falán turned in place once he was settled on their back, facing the mountain and with a few somewhat hopping steps forward with one leg busy holding Kam’s bag, beautiful enormous wings gave one massive flap down and the ground was rushing away from Kam as quickly as he knew it would, but it still surprised him all the same. A startled cry escaped his lips and his arms flailed for a second before he lurched forwards, grasping the strange soft-rough texture of scaled skin and feathers.</p>
<p>When Falán landed at the mouth of his cave, Kam scrambled off their back and gasped for breath. His mind couldn’t decide to tell him to jump for joy at the exhilaration of <em>riding a dragon</em> or throw up because humans live on the ground and should stay down there. What a combination.</p>
<p>
  <em>I promise that flying makes you feel freer than anything else in this world. Will you let me show you another time?</em>
</p>
<p>“Umm,” Kam gulped hard, feeling a little less dizzy and a tugging sensation of safety and warmth when he stared into the depths of the cave. “Yeah, maybe. I’ll think ‘bout it.” Even though the answer was vague, Falán looked pleased nonetheless.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>With the peaceful stillness the mountain offered, the days quickly turned into weeks. Kam would be lying if he said he didn’t feel isolated at first, but as time passed, he learnt to appreciate the quiet and pay attention to things he never had done before. It was simple things like seeing how determined squirrels were when foraging for pine nuts, how persistently birds of prey scanned the ground for their next victim, how the wind quickened and quieted with the snap of ones fingers. Daytime was interesting enough but visibility was limited with the wintry weather, even on a clear day. It was in the night that Kam would wrap up warm and sit on a rock outside the cave, able to see for miles when the clouds cleared. He could see the city below, completely unaware of what was happening at the top of Icewall Peak. Each lit torch was a pinprick of light, like the stars had fallen to the ground rather than stay up where they belonged. For the first time in his life, Kam saw the two sides of the earth mirroring each other and it stole his breath. It was also the time that Falán was more active, seeming to enjoy the nightfall over the day and using the darkness as cover to hunt.</p>
<p><em>The dark is many things, Kam.</em> They had said on the first night Kam sat outside staring at the world like he was truly seeing for the first time. <em>It exploits strengths and weaknesses like nothing else can. People love it, fear it, hate it even but you cannot escape it. So it is always best to face it. You should always confront things that challenge you.</em> Kam couldn’t help but feel there was a double meaning in there somewhere. He had quickly learnt that a lot of what Falán said could be taken one way or another. Just how old was the dragon that they kept such wisdom? Held such an open mind?</p>
<p>But the main event that Kam was here for, was to lay, <em>birth,</em> the eggs. Much to his chagrin, they did grow in size to the point it looked like he had swallowed a watermelon, but thankfully, the hatchlings did not do a lot of moving. When they did, it was simply tiny knocks and taps from within their shells and nothing tremendously gut-wrenching. The closer Kam got to the dreaded forty day, six week mark, the antsier he became. He would pace back and forth when he couldn’t read any longer and walking would keep his back from aching too much. Without realising, Kam had unpacked all his clothes from their neat array and further padded the existing nest with his things, Falán watching without saying a word while he did so. When he finally did realise what he had been doing, Kam covered his face in complete and utter embarrassment.</p>
<p>“What in the actual fuck am I doin’?” He shrieked. “I’m sorry Falán, I really don’t know what’s come over me.” When Kam made to tidy everything up, Falán stopped him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Do not be ashamed. You are nesting, it is a natural reaction.</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m…nestin’ Like a bird?” </p>
<p><em>Not like a bird, like a dragon.</em> Falán nuzzled the juncture between Kam’s neck and shoulder as best they could, making Kam lean into the action. Physical touch had become much more of thing between them and instead of Kam flinching away at the beginning, he often found himself seeking it out. It had taken a while for him to admit that he didn’t initially reach out to Falán because he feared it, but because he liked it more than he realised. Falán was kind, gentle, beautiful in their own way and intelligent beyond anyone Kam had known or heard of. If Kam was ever in trouble or needed help from here on out, he felt confident that Falán would be there for him.</p>
<p><em>I know something that will help you relax,</em> Falán piped up after Kam had been pacing for more than twenty minutes. The eggs felt <em>unsettled</em> today, but there was still several days to go before anything dramatic happened.</p>
<p>Kam glanced sideways at Falán, eyebrow raised. “If you’re suggestin’ what I think you are, sorry but I ain’t in the mood.”</p>
<p><em>Oh my, not that!</em> Falán threw their head back, exhaling roughly in what could only be described as the dragon equivalent of a surprised laugh. <em>No pretty one, come with me.</em> They led the way to the mouth of the cave once Kam had thrown on his coat and boots, stopping at the edge of a steep drop with their head hanging over it. Kam kept well back. It was all well and good when you had wings to recover from a fall that high. Falán drew in a deep breath as they sat back up and gestured for Kam to come closer. He did so, admiring the glory of a winter sunset that cast strips of pink, gold and purple across the sky.</p>
<p>Falán knelt down in a silent request that Kam climb on board he knew that right in this moment, the dragon had picked it as the take-two of flying. </p>
<p>You should always confront things that challenge you; that was what they had said. So Kam did. Climbing onto Falán’s back and setting just behind their shoulders but keeping his legs in front of their wings, Falán waited for the wind to sweep in before they unfolded their wings. They were easily double the size of their body, spanning either side of them in a majestic display of power and beauty. Kam could feel the muscles working underneath his legs, tensing in preparation for flight. Kam leant forward, hunching a little as much as his belly would allow and taking a firm hold of the feathers that ran in almost a perfect line down the back of Falán’s neck. He had seen men assume this position on galloping horses and it seemed to work best, so he assumed it also just in time for Falán to leap from the edge of the cliff. Kam heard himself yell, stomach feeling like it was dropping to his toes as the ground was nowhere to be seen, only the slope of the mountain vanishing into darkness. In reality, Falán had glided down in a much more gentle stoop than what it had felt like to Kam before they weaved in an upwards arc and out over the city.</p>
<p>They were <em>so high</em> that it made Kam’s head spin and he closed his eyes, gripping the feathers hard in front of him.</p>
<p><em>Do not be afraid Kam, open your eyes.</em> Kam didn’t call out on the fact that Falán had simply assumed that he had closed his eyes in the first place, but he forced himself to open them. <em>Listen to our young inside you, they yearn to fly, they can feel us doing it together.</em></p>
<p>“They can?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course they can, they are part of you as much as they are a part of me. Whatever we are feeling, they feel it too.</em>
</p>
<p>So Kam tried to relax, taking in the scenery and the city at dusk. This high up, all anyone on the ground would be able to make out were the shape of Falán’s wings, especially in the fading light. Once again the torches were lit, speckling dots of light across the land and highlighting where the city ended and the green valleys and hills began. Kam suddenly recalled the map that Alec had shown him weeks ago now and how they were flying across it quicker than anyone could ever hope to traverse the land on foot. It felt incredible.</p>
<p>Falán veered back the way they had come in a gentle loop, wings tilted to balance themselves through the updrafts and currents in the air. Kam had seen birds do the same thing, circling in a lazy arc much the same way Falán was going now. They turned and headed back the way they had come so the mountain was approaching to their right.</p>
<p>
  <em>Have you ever seen what lies beyond my mountain?</em>
</p>
<p>“No, never. But I heard it’s the sea and sheets of ice.”</p>
<p><em>Correct, let me show you.</em> Kam felt his excitement spike, the fear of the ground being far below at a dizzying height fading away. He was with Falán, he would be safe.</p>
<p>Falán trilled, a strange high pitched sound that vibrated through their body. Kam had yet to hear Falán make dragon noises beyond the deep purring they made when pleased and the terrifying roar when they had first met. They were otherwise relatively silent and would communicate with Kam through his mind in perfect telepathic clarity.</p>
<p>The mountain rounded on their right, clouds easily dispersed when flying through them quickly and the land suddenly dropped from sheer cliffs and rock faces into deep blue ocean and expansive sheets of white. It was like a desert, stretching for miles into the horizon, breaking only occasionally to let the water move chunks of ice the size of hills around like pieces on a chessboard. The ocean lapped against them, splashing and rolling over each other, breaking on the icebergs and moving them apart before they would eventually re-freeze. The snow and ice sparkled in the dusk and the last bits of sunlight bounced magenta and gold back at Kam in its reflective surface.</p>
<p>“It’s beautiful.” Kam breathed as Falán slowed their pace, wings beating gently to keep them aloft almost as if they were hovering like a kestrel.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>An idea came to Kam at that moment. “You can…breathe fire, right?” Falán turned their head to look at him as if to say <em>obviously.</em> “Care to show me? I haven’t really seen it.” It was true, he had not seen the full force of what Falán could do apart from when they first met and Kam witnessed the dragon’s flammable saliva.</p>
<p><em>You wish to see?</em> Falán was suddenly buzzing with excitement, body tensing in a different way and if Kam wasn’t mistaken, heating up around their middle where his legs were either side. <em>You will be among few humans who have witnessed a dragon’s flame and lived to tell the tale.</em> They were teasing, that much was obvious.</p>
<p>“Show me then. Maybe I’ll reward you when we get back.” Feeling bold, Kam did nothing to keep the suggestiveness out of his voice and Falán purred.</p>
<p>
  <em>Very well, I will hold you to that.</em>
</p>
<p>“You better.” It was the first time he had offered such a thing since they had met and with that offer on the table, that challenge accepted, Falán drew their wings back in and dropped suddenly, picking up speed as the sheets of ice approached. They aimed for a particularly large piece of white, a desolate flat thing and asking to be singed. Kam heard Falán draw in a breath so deep he felt their sides shrink in under his legs, heating up to a pleasant warmth that Kam had felt in the quiet of the night when snuggled close to Falán’s side.</p>
<p>Swooping low and fast over the ice and snow, Falán opened their mouth and flame poured forth in a torrent so hot and fierce Kam could feel it from behind the dragon’s head, he could only imagine how quickly it must melt flesh and char bone. It was like a tornado, a whirlwind summoned in the most precise way and when it hit the ground the ice shattered, splintering and fracturing like glass as it instantly yielded under dragon fire. Sparing a quick glance behind them, Kam saw the jagged line where the ice liquefied and revealed the frigid ocean beneath it. Back at the front, Falán halted the onset of flame as the ice sheet gave way for two wingbeats into the sea, before taking in a second breath to spew it again when it froze into ice once more.</p>
<p>The force of it, the <em>power,</em> it was exhilarating! Kam yelled in exuberance as the flame tapered off and Falán roared, a deep but shrill sound that shook Kam’s bones and made his heart race. Falán was incredible, they were astounding and powerful and beautiful and Kam felt pride wash over him at the fact that he was the one who would help create more dragons like the one he was sitting on the back of now. It sent chills down his spine at the thought that when the babies were the size of their parent, there wouldn’t be much in the world that could stand against them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The moment of Falán flaming up the snow was hugely inspired by the scene in season 7, episode 4 of Game of Thrones when Drogon mullers the Lannister army. If you have seen it, you already know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvtVK3GxoO4 - at around the 4:00 mark. </p>
<p>I fucking love dragons, okay?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><em>They are ready, it is time.</em> Falán uncurled themselves around Kam and helped him shuffle forwards on his knees, draping his arms over the edge of the nest. <em>I know it will hurt, but try to relax. Breathe.</em></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As the end of the sixth week drew closer, there wasn’t much Kam to do to make himself relax. He felt tense, on edge, like seeing the lightning strike the horizon and waiting for the crash of thunder, not knowing when it would sound or how close it would be. He gave up on reading when he couldn’t concentrate on the words any further, giving himself tension headaches as the letters blurred into a mass of wavy black lines that he couldn’t make sense of. The cool touch of the spring in the main section of the cave helped the aches and pains that his hips and lower back had been subject to for what felt like weeks when it couldn’t have been more than a few days as the eggs reached their final stages. The baby dragons shifted more frequently inside their shells, clearly eager to be laid and then hatch in another few weeks’ time. What will happen then? Falán had said they will need more time before they hatch, but they had yet to clarify what Kam was supposed to do afterwards. Was his job simply done after they were laid? Would he be allowed to see the new dragons that he helped create? Or, worst of all, did Falán not want Kam to stick around after all was said and done? Afraid of the answer, Kam said nothing and the dragon itself did not bring it up which left Kam’s mind conjuring up a thousand different scenarios as to how Falán would react if he said he wanted more involvement. Falán had also done this before, had said so themselves, so what had happened with the last participating human? Where in the world were the dragons from that union?</p>
<p>Nervous and agitated, Kam kept his mouth shut, like he had done so many times in his life. Usually, staying quiet meant less could happen. If you didn’t speak back, you didn’t get in trouble. However, on the flipside if you didn’t ask, you didn’t get. Thinking in such a way, Kam found himself back at square one over and over until he wanted to cry and yell in frustration. When he truly forced himself to think about it and when Kam realised he was afraid of what Falán would say, he concluded that he was also afraid of being rejected by the dragon after all their time together. Even more so, he was afraid because he had, in some way, grown attached to the dragonlings inside him. He wanted to see them, even if he had no real part in their raising. Falán had said they could feel his emotions and perhaps adopt his attributes, so surely that physical connection must lead to an emotional one as well?</p>
<p>With his mind all over the place it was enough to distract Kam from the fact the eggs had moved down to sit low and heavy inside him, yet nothing could tear him away from the building pressure, the aches that slowly turned from a dull drag to a sharp sting that roused him from sleep in the middle of the night.</p>
<p>The last two days Kam had found himself reluctant to leave the nest, only finding comfort when curled up in it against Falán’s warm side. The added weight of a feathery wing in the place of a blanket only added to the relief it gave him. What’s more, Falán refused to leave his side for more than a few minutes at a time, clearly aware that it was almost time for Kam to lay and at night neither going to sleep nor staying awake, instead lingering in a state of both alertness and drowsiness.</p>
<p>When Kam tried to sit up, pushing Falán’s wing aside, the pain in his pelvic area increased now he was back to full consciousness. It reminded him of menstrual cramps, not that he had had any of those for the last several years after finding a potion that kept that particular aspect of femininity at bay, and as the pain grew to the point he was groaning in the dark space of the cave, Kam remembered why he didn’t miss them <em>at all.</em> </p>
<p><em>They are ready, it is time.</em> Falán uncurled themselves around Kam and helped him shuffle forwards on his knees, draping his arms over the edge of the nest. <em>I know it will hurt, but try to relax. Breathe.</em></p>
<p>“Ugh, how do you know it hurts, huh?”</p>
<p><em>I have done this myself also.</em> Well, that answered a question Kam had been wondering for a while now about just what Falán could do biologically, but thinking about it too much made his head hurt. Instead, he rested his pounding head on his crossed arms, relishing the cool temperature of the cave for once instead of shying away from it as he felt himself begin to sweat.</p>
<p>The pressure keeps building, the contractions getting closer together and more intense until he was shaking with the effort it took not to scream his lungs out. The eggs couldn’t be much larger than the size of a grapefruit, yet they felt twice the size of that as the first one pressed hard against his cervix, falling through easily as the muscle gave way. Kam found the real challenge was getting it to travel down the way it had originally come in, which it didn’t seem to want to do without a struggle. Kam could understand that, it didn’t want to leave where it felt most safe, much like he hadn’t wanted to leave the nest where he felt most at ease. </p>
<p>Falán’s presence at his side was the only thing that kept him grounded. He could see the dragon’s slight movements as he stared straight ahead into the darkness of the cave, only just able to make out the spring water’s faint teal glow in the distance. Kam closed his eyes, imagining sitting in its strange lukewarm temperature, envisioning submerging himself under the surface to cool his body and soothe his pains. A stabbing contraction pulled Kam back into reality and he <em>pushed</em>, giving into the overwhelming urge to do so before he heard a soft <em>thud</em> beneath him. Looking down between his legs, Kam was grateful he had forgone clothes as nothing obscured his view of the first egg, roughly the size he had thought it to be. It was difficult to decipher the colour of its shell with just the fire pit flames barely simmering several feet from them, but Kam didn’t have the time to ponder any further when the second egg wanted out.</p>
<p>Falán moved the first one aside, nuzzling it with their nose while Kam yielded under the pangs of labour for the second time and as it fell the few inches to the soft ground from his body, Kam realised he still had four more eggs to go. He sobbed, wincing as the third egg began to make its way from him.</p>
<p>“Falán, this hurts…I can’t – I can’t do this,” he reached blindly for the dragon and sighed in gratitude as he felt Falán’s head under his palm, the scaly skin easily withstanding blunt nails digging into it.</p>
<p><em>Do not fight them,</em> their deep musical voice sounded in Kam’s head, chasing away some of the throbbing he felt behind his eyes. <em>They do not wish you harm, the same as I, they only want to see the world.</em></p>
<p>“I’m tryin’, I really am…they don’t wanna come out! What if they’re stuck, what if they can’t come out and I end up hurtin’ them and-”</p>
<p><em>Kam, relax.</em> Falán breathed out in a rush of warm air and smoke rose from their nostrils as they did so. <em>You are strong, it is why I chose you for this, regardless if it was an accident that you found me here. I know you can do this, I know I chose wisely.</em> They pushed their great head against the crook of Kam’s neck and shoulder, their favoured spot for doing so. <em>Trust me.</em> A whisper, the quietest Kam had ever heard the dragon speak and it sounded like an echo, as if someone had called his name from the other end of a tunnel and he was hearing it as an afterthought.</p>
<p>“I do…I do trust you.” Kam opened his eyes to see chartreuse ones staring back at him. It didn’t matter what other light there was, Falán’s eyes seemed to produce their own, pupils wider than the slits they normally were to the point they almost looked as if they could be human. They were so beautiful. “I trust you.” Kam repeated and the fear and panic trying to rise was quelled. Yes, giving birth hurt, but there were worse pains in the world.</p>
<p>Steeling his nerve, Kam didn’t hold back his cries of pain as he pushed. It made him feel more alive than he held felt in a long time. He would be alright, as would the dragonlings and when this was over, he would tell Falán what he wanted, that he didn’t want his leaving this cave to be permanent.</p>
<p>A rush of fluid accompanied the sixth egg and Kam sagged forwards when he finally felt empty. Pulling heaving breaths of chilled air into his lungs made them burn as it went down, but it felt so good. The sweat on his body was drying, creating a thin layer and all he wanted to do was fall asleep but he really wanted to lie down and pray that the dampness he felt under his knees wasn’t blood but whatever else was normal to the eggs as they had been developing. Kam felt himself slipping sideways in his exhaustion, unable to keep himself held up as his muscles now ached for a different reason.</p>
<p>Falán caught him with their head, helped ease Kam down onto his side as they also made themselves comfortable. Between them, the six new dragons twitched and stirred in their shells. <em>Sleep, pretty one. You did so well.</em> Falán raised one wing, flaring it out as wide as it would go and draped it across Kam and the eggs. <em>We will be here when you wake.</em></p>
<p>We…</p>
<p>Kam did fall asleep, but not for long. When he opened his eyes, the cave was better lit as the sconces on the walls flickered and danced. The fire pit was ablaze as well, bathing the cave in a comforting warmth that reminded him of the fireplace of the living room back in the hole in the wall house where thieves resided.</p>
<p>He felt…good, all things considered. A blanket covered him, a faded red thing that he had brought with him in his bag. Kam pushed himself up on one elbow and did a double take as he finally got a good look at the eggs. </p>
<p>They were neither red nor orange, but rather a deep vermilion with thin twisting veins of white covering their ovoid shape. Their shells were smooth and glassy, Kam able to see his reflection and that of the fire sconces. Falán’s reflection joined his, the dragon’s head hovering above him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Good morning. How do you feel?</em>
</p>
<p>“I’m…fine? Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t know how after all this,” Kam gestured to the eggs, instantly wanting to get closer to them. When he did so, Falán seemed to purr. “What?” Kam raised a brow.</p>
<p><em>I knew I chose wisely,</em> they repeated what they had said earlier while Kam was laying. <em>You did so well and they are healthy and strong. I can feel it.</em></p>
<p>“That’s good,” Kam sighed.</p>
<p><em>You feel maternal to them.</em> It was phrased like a question but it didn’t come out as one. Falán simply cocked their head as they watched Kam shuffle closer, watched him touch their shells in turn and marvel at how warm they were. It was the truth and Kam bit his lip, remembering what he had promised himself to do when this was over. Maybe he had let his mind run away with him in the heat of the moment?</p>
<p>“I suppose I am a little. Can you blame me though after they just came out of me in such a dramatic way?” He half laughed as he snuggled down again, pulling the eggs closer.</p>
<p>
  <em>Dramatic…mmm, I suppose for a human laying eggs is not biologically correct so you could call it that.</em>
</p>
<p>“Heh, exactly,” Kam waved one hand, batting the end of Falán’s nose which made the dragon blow hot air at him, ruffling his hair. “I’m…glad they’re safe though. I did my best.”</p>
<p>
  <em>I know you did. I do not know how to thank you.</em>
</p>
<p>“I do.”</p>
<p><em>Oh? Do tell me. Anything you want.</em> It was not lost on Kam the irony Falán’s statement held, how who was telling who that they would do <em>anything.</em> With their situations reversed in such a way, Kam wondered what Falán thought he might say. He didn’t want the dragon’s treasure anymore, he didn’t want the gold ingot at the bottom of the spring. All he wanted was to see the eggs, to see the dragons hatch.</p>
<p>“I wanna see them,” he whispered, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. “I mean, if you’ll let me. You know I can’t do anythin’ to you if you don’t wanna let me but I really do wanna see them again. I wanna see them hatch and see what they look like. I just…” Kam bit his lip, unable to meet Falán’s eyes as he spoke. “I don’t really wanna leave because I know I’ll miss you. I’ll miss them.” Resting his hand in a dip between the eggs in the middle of the neat cluster they were in, Kam felt his heart racing in his chest. He was afraid, nervous, worried that the dragon he had slowly come to understand and care for would throw him away now that they had what they wanted.</p>
<p>A rustle of feathers sounded in Kam’s ears and when he looked up, Falán was sitting up much like a cat would when it stared out at the world from behind a window, watching people pass them by. For once, the dragon looked a little lost for words.</p>
<p>
  <em>You…would want to see them again? To see me again?</em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah, of course. I’m guessin’ this is a surprise?”</p>
<p><em>It is. I have never been asked such a request in all my years of existence.</em> For some reason, Kam found that incredibly sad. Falán lived all alone, with nobody to talk to, something they clearly enjoyed doing second only to flying. Kam had come to know a little about dragons in his time so far, understood they weren’t social creatures by nature, but then why did Falán love a good chat so much? Was it their choice to be by themselves? Were they content to breed once in a blue moon whether it be with their own kind or purely by chance, a human?</p>
<p>“Well, colour me surprised too. I didn’t think I would want this at the beginning, but yeah. I’m askin’ you if I can see you and your eggs again because I want to. A lot.”</p>
<p><em>They are not just my eggs, Kam. They are yours too. Of course you can see them, I would like that very much. I like</em> you <em>very much.</em> At that, Kam felt his cheeks flush, deciding to sit up properly to regard the dragon who lowered themselves down to his eye level. <em>You must be the first human in the world to surprise a dragon twice over.</em></p>
<p>“Twice?”</p>
<p><em>Indeed.</em> Oh, they meant their first meeting. All over a gold ingot. Why did it feel like so long ago already? Kam smiled, reaching up to caress the off white feather crest at the back of Falán’s head. When they lowered their head to give them better access, Kam pulled the dragon’s head into his lap, bending forward as best he could to kiss between their eyes.</p>
<p>“I do need to go back to the world of humans and sort some stuff out. But then…we can sort our stuff out afterwards?”</p>
<p><em>That sounds as good a plan as any.</em> Kam swore he could feel Falán’s happiness and satisfaction bleeding through the telepathic bond and spilling into his soul.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The blueprints for the coal mining camp seemed like such a trivial thing in the face of all that Kam had been through over the last six weeks. He still needed to get them, could see the valley in the distance from the top of Icewall Peak, especially on such a clear winter’s day as this. Movement from the corner of his eye had him turning his head to watch Falán walk from the cave’s mouth, having made sure the eggs were safe and comfortable. Although Kam really didn’t want to leave them, he knew he had to, knew he would see them again soon. Damn those maternal instincts making him feel this way.</p>
<p>“Can we walk for a bit? Five minutes’ worth.”</p>
<p><em>Of course.</em> Falán followed Kam down the path he had come through weeks ago, escorting him slowly down the mountain until he felt like time enough had passed. Mounting Falán’s back with smooth practiced grace, the dragon kicked off into the sky, wings beating down and pushing them higher. They circled the mountain, gliding around the back of it that faced the ocean and held the walls of ice that had given it its name. When they came back around, Falán had drifted lower, still plenty high enough not to be seen by the humans down below but close enough to the mountain that their claws skimmed the pine trees that decorated the mountainside. From this close, Kam could make out the shrines that dotted the path up and he could hardly believe his eyes when he saw a hunched grey figure kneeling in front of the same shrine he had last seen her.</p>
<p>The haggard old woman looked up as Falán glided past, the dragon clearly aware of her presence but not in the least bit bothered by it. She threw her head back and cackled, the sound reaching Kam’s ears on the travelling winds. When she raised a hand at him in a delicate wave, all he could do was reciprocate, the stunned look he felt on his face making her cackle in amusement again. Her words from weeks ago echoed in his mind.</p>
<p>
  <em>“The journey down is easier.”</em>
</p>
<p>He must have said it aloud, because Falán agreed. <em>It is always better to fly.</em></p>
<p>Landing in an expansive open space of green hills not far from where the nobleman who held the blueprints was staying, Kam dismounted, hesitating when he turned back to Falán and unsure of what to say. This wasn’t a goodbye, not really.</p>
<p><em>Before you go, I have something for you.</em> They reached back to a hind leg, taking something shiny and yellow from between their talons that Kam had not noticed them carrying before they set off. </p>
<p>“Holy shit,” Kam laughed as Falán offered the brick sized gold ingot between their teeth. “You went down into the spring and got it?”</p>
<p>
  <em>Yes, I thought it most fitting after everything. Ironic, if you would.</em>
</p>
<p>If there was one thing Kam had learned about dragons since he met Falán, it was that they did have a dry sense of humour. At least, his dragon did. He reached out to take it, feeling the weight like he had done so when he boldly picked it up from right under Falán’s nose.</p>
<p>“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” Kam laughed.</p>
<p><em>I know we can agree that what is mine is yours, but this,</em> they nudged Kam’s hands forward so he held the ingot to his chest. <em>This is yours. Do with it what you will.</em></p>
<p>Kam knew just what to do with this, already picturing the looks on everyone’s faces when he got back to the house with the news they wouldn’t need to worry about money for a long while.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” He put the ingot in his bag and quickly pulled Falán’s head into his embrace. He promised himself he wouldn’t cry but that didn’t stop his eyes getting hot and his vision blurry.</p>
<p>
  <em>Do not be sad, beautiful. As humans say, time will fly.</em>
</p>
<p>“Yeah I know, but still.” He huffed, sniffing deeply to keep the tears at bay.</p>
<p><em>I will miss you, too.</em> When they parted, Falán closed one eye in a slow wink. <em>I shall meet you here in seven days’ time?</em></p>
<p>“Yeah,” Kam hated how both far away and not far away that sounded. He tilted his head at the dragon, biting his lip. “Will you show me how much you will have missed me?”</p>
<p><em>Oh yes, pretty one. Oh yes I shall, indeed.</em> Falán’s voice was a deep purr in Kam’s head and arousal instantly clawed at him.</p>
<p>“Alright, alright, get out of here you overgrown lizard. I got shit to do.” He pushed at Falán in jest, who trilled in reply, their eyes gleaming in amusement. Huge feathered wings unfolded and Falán took to the sky once more, quickly getting high enough to be easily mistaken for a soaring eagle.</p>
<p>Seven days wasn’t long, not really, especially not after six weeks had already passed so quickly. Kam turned in the direction of his destination, the gold ingot heavy in his bag against his back. He smiled to himself. It might be expensive, but it was nothing compared to what he and Falán had between them, what they had created together and what was awaiting his return in the depths of the cave atop Icewall Peak.</p>
<p>That was priceless.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was originally going to end this here, but someone commented saying how they were looking forward to the eggs hatching and I was like, you know what!? So I have written a short epilogue featuring cute baby dragons. Maybe some smut too ;D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The vermilion shell, like a perfectly polished piece of marble, splintered outwards. Several cracks emerged, marring its shiny unblemished surface and after more than a few moments, Kam forced himself to sit on his hands so he wouldn’t touch the baby. He could see a snout, much like Falán’s, trying to force itself through the tiny gap it had made. Biting his lip, Kam released a breath he only just realised he had been holding right at the same moment a little dragon head poked through the egg.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kam ran the tip of his index and middle finger across the smooth shells of the eggs. His eggs, Falán’s eggs, <em>their eggs.</em> He was curled around them as close as possible, lying on his side and touching each of them in turn. Falán had said they would hatch any day now and Kam believed them to be correct once more. The hatchlings twitched and shifted much like they had done when inside Kam, yet thankfully they had chosen to become more active now that they were laid. Falán could keep them warm in a way Kam couldn’t, the heat from their body more than enough to make the baby dragons comfortable, but they became more active when Kam touched them. It had become a nightly routine before falling asleep under a huge wing and tonight was no different.</p><p><em>They can sense you,</em> Falán whispered into his mind. <em>I believe they are excited to meet you.</em></p><p>Kam smiled, carefully phrasing his question internally before asking the dragon. “How is it that this became a thing? Dragons and humans doin’ this together, do you know?”</p><p>
  <em>It is probably more of a story than the truth after all this time.</em>
</p><p>“How long ago are we talkin’ here?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh, thousands of years, perhaps more.</em>
</p><p>“Will you tell me the story?” Kam splayed his hand in the centre of the eggs so he could just about touch all six of them at once. Falán looked at him, eyelids low with a fond look that made Kam flush, heart beating a little faster.</p><p>
  <em>It started with just one dragon. They were at war with a kingdom when the humans came to the dragon’s land and tried to drive it away. They fought back of course, no dragon would leave their home without a fight. So fight they did, for a long time until both were weary of doing so. The human king had a daughter, and the dragon could see she was nothing like her war mongering father. As she turned from a babe to a girl, from a girl to a woman, she could see the dragon just wanted to be left alone. It was so tired of fighting, so she bravely went to speak with it, diplomatic as she had come to be, tried to find out what it truly wanted, what would make it acquiesce.</em>
</p><p>“Then what?”</p><p>
  <em>They talked for hours, long enough that they better understood each other’s species from just one conversation. So the woman kept coming back, talking with the dragon she had become fond of and their friendship developed into a deep affection.</em>
</p><p>“So, they got it on, huh?” Kam chuckled, waggling his eyebrows.</p><p><em>Yes, Kam, they ‘got it on’ so to speak.</em> Kam could feel the amusement in Falán’s voice. <em>Ultimately, the dragon was lonely, had not seen another of their kind for a long time and believed themselves to be the last of it. In despair for her dragon, she offered to help it. There was obviously only one way to do such a thing, but she did not know if it would work, if it was even possible. Humans and dragons have such a long history, fighting and killing each other for as long as anyone can remember.</em></p><p>“I guess it seems oddly fittin’ that we’re the only ones that can help you out in that way. Ironic, but it works.”</p><p>
  <em>Indeed, our kind’s greatest challenge also being a chance of survival.</em>
</p><p>“So, the woman just let the dragon lay eggs in her?”</p><p>
  <em>The details are vague, but it seems so. I am unsure if some sort of magic was involved but regardless if it was or was not, it obviously worked and the dragon and its offspring left the land together, spreading the word among others of their kind so that all of us knew how we could salvage what there was of us left.</em>
</p><p>“What happened to the woman?”</p><p>
  <em>I do not know.</em>
</p><p>“Oh…must’ve sucked to see her lover and children just leavin’ like that.”</p><p>
  <em>I agree, yet even if there are no details about what became of her, I like to believe that she left with them so they would always be together.</em>
</p><p>“Wow that’s romantic of you.” Kam reached to stroke his hand down Falán’s head between their green-gold eyes.</p><p>
  <em>You like it though.</em>
</p><p>Kam laughed. “I love it.” Falán purred in response, lifting their head and nuzzling the side of Kam’s face, down to his neck where he felt their tongue trace back up. Arousal flashed through Kam, making him clench his thighs together and feel an increasing wetness between his legs. They had had sex after Falán had shown off the power of their fiery breath over the ice fields, the dragon reassuring Kam that they wouldn’t have another clutch of eggs for months and as a result, there was no other way for Kam to become pregnant. That was good news to Kam, as sex with a dragon was easily the best sex of his life.</p><p>Sighing and pushing into the touch, Kam kept one hand on scales of pale green and the other moved to the waistline of his trousers, slowly pushing them down to reveal he had nothing on underneath. Falán’s nostrils flared when Kam kicked the garment away and spread his legs a little.</p><p>“Touch me,” he whispered. “I want you to.”</p><p>
  <em>And just where would you like me to touch you?</em>
</p><p>“You know where,” Kam groaned.</p><p><em>Maybe you should show me?</em> Damn dragon was being a tease again, so Kam lowered a hand down to spread himself, the other hand fisting in the feathers that crested the back of Falán’s head.</p><p>“Right here,” he dipped a finger inside himself, biting his lip as Falán’s eyes flicked down to watch the action. “I want you inside me. Make me scream, make me come.”</p><p>Falán is on him in an instant. The eggs are suitably warm and will be fine for a couple of hours, so Kam pushes the worry away that he feels whenever he or Falán aren’t snuggled up to them. Right now, he just wants the dragon to please him and be pleased in return.</p><p>Their tail, quick as a whip and endlessly flexible, moves around from behind Falán to wrap around both of Kam’s wrists, keeping them held above his head. He’s sprawled out in the nest, on his back and Falán is nosing his shirt up over his stomach to lightly drag their hot tongue down over his skin.</p><p><em>You know,</em> Falán’s voice is hushed with pleasure, <em>you looked so beautiful filled with my eggs.</em> Their tongue pauses over Kam’s navel, dipping into it and making him squirm in place before they continue their ministrations south. <em>They felt good going inside, did they not?</em></p><p>“Yes, fuck yes, they did.” Kam is pushing his hips up, trying to get the dragon to push their tongue inside him. He needs it, he needs it <em>now.</em></p><p><em>When another clutch is ready, will you take them again?</em> </p><p>“Of course I will, stupid dragon,” he breathes on a half laugh, “but I won’t if you don’t fuck me right now.”</p><p><em>So demanding.</em> Falán finally sinks their tongue inside Kam and he moans, the sound echoing off the cave walls. <em>Your taste is so divine, I could do this for hours.</em> Kam wasn’t sure he could last hours of this without passing out. Was it possible to die from too many orgasms? Possibly, but what a way to go.</p><p>“Come on,” Kam whines after a few moments and drags Falán’s head, somewhat reluctantly, from between his legs and spreads them as wide as they will go. “Let’s do this. Fuck me.” But Falán seemed to have an idea.</p><p><em>Roll over,</em> they nudge Kam’s side and he does so without thinking when the tail around his wrists releases him. <em>Move so you are over the edge of the nest.</em> Oh, Kam gets it. He assumes the position that Falán wants, realising that in this position with him bent over the side of the nest, arms folded underneath his head, that his hips are low and almost perfectly aligned with the dragon’s. He doesn’t even get to see anything, he just <em>feels,</em> feels the glorious weight of a heavy cock nudging up against his stomach before moving back and teasing between his folds.</p><p>“Gods, you’re gonna make me beg or what?” Kam bites out but there is no malice to it, just frustration as he feels Falán rub themselves against Kam some more finally, <em>finally,</em> pushing inside. It’s a quick movement, one that steals Kam’s breath and makes him gasp without having enough air to draw in so his breathing becomes quick and laboured in an instant. Falán’s head moves next to Kam’s own, the flames of the fire pit nearby reflecting in their eyes. The teasing mood they were in turned into something else and Kam can see the desire in the dragon’s expression, can feel it in the steady but firm thrusts that are just bordering the fine line between pain and pleasure. </p><p>It’s bliss, that’s what it is, and Kam cries out with each drag back and push forth. His voice quickly rises, filling the cave with the sounds of his ecstasy. He’s so wet, he can feel it dripping down his thighs. Nothing and nobody else has made him react like that, only a charming creature that isn’t even human, but Kam doesn’t care. Falán makes his heart clench when he is regarded with those beautiful eyes, makes his breath catch and the power of speech struggle to find the words when he hears the musical voice in his head saying things he never thought he would ever hear in his life. Words of praise, of affection, of…love? Is that what that feeling is? Kam cannot recall ever being in love before.</p><p>His reverie is broken when Falán pushes up, goes in deep and Kam is sure he sees stars behind his eyes in broken flashes of white. This might only the third time they have been intimate but it seemed to be enough for Falán to figure out just what Kam liked and how hard he could take it.</p><p>When Kam’s orgasm crashes over him, it’s with his dragon’s name on a scream of pleasure that tips Falán over the edge too as he clenches hard on the cock inside him. The essence that would give life to eggs had there been any inside Kam, still filled him with the same warmth that sends delightful chills up his spine even as the feeling of being empty takes over as Falán withdraws.</p><p><em>Are you alright, Kam?</em> He could only nod, too busy calming his breathing to speak properly. Falán moved from the nest to retrieve a piece of cloth that they dipped into the water bowl Kam had used earlier to wash his face before settling down with the eggs. When they presented it to Kam with it between their teeth, he smiled gratefully at the dragon and rinsed it out, using it to clean himself and the mess they had made, tossing the cloth into the fire pit when he was done.</p><p><em>You should get some sleep. If I sense anything happening with the eggs, I will wake you.</em> A scaled snout brushed Kam’s cheek as he lay back down to near enough the same spot he was in before, not bothering to cover his nudity as one of Falán’s wings moved to cover both him and their eggs.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Kam wasn’t sure what time it was when he jolted awake. The air felt very still, so it was likely in the depths of the night, by this point considered to be early morning, but Falán half sitting up and rustling their feathers had him pushing up on one elbow and struggling to see anything with the wall sconces having gone out and the fire pit’s flames extinguished. Falán leaned over him, drawing in a breath and huffing it out sharply to re-ignite the fire pit for Kam to better see and that was when he heard it.</p><p>A delicate tapping sound from within one of the eggs, the one positioned in the centre surrounded by its siblings. The egg wobbled, and Kam sat bolt upright.</p><p>“Holy shit, it’s happenin’! What do we do?” Unable to tear his eyes off the shifting egg, he kept his voice low as if not to startle the baby dragon that had decided to be the eldest in terms of hatching.</p><p><em>We do not do anything, it must find its own way out.</em> That made sense, but Kam found it incredibly difficult to simply sit by and do nothing. The vermilion shell, like a perfectly polished piece of marble, splintered outwards. Several cracks emerged, marring its shiny unblemished surface and after more than a few moments, Kam forced himself to sit on his hands so he wouldn’t touch the baby. He could see a snout, much like Falán’s, trying to force itself through the tiny gap it had made. Biting his lip, Kam released a breath he only just realised he had been holding right at the same moment a little dragon head poked through the egg.</p><p>Dark green and somewhat wet, its feathery crest was plastered down to the back of its head which showed its head angular shape. Its eyes were mostly yellow, lacking the emerald highlights that Falán possessed but when it yawned, tiny teeth pushed outwards much like its parent did. It glanced between Kam and Falán, blinking owlishly before deciding to make quick work of the rest of the egg. It shattered when the dragon struggled, little clawed feet further splintering its shell as it broke completely free. Its wings were half formed, the lesser and primary coverts already there but main primaries and secondaries yet to grow in. It tried and failed to immediately stand up on thin legs, its long tail uncoiling and swaying gently from side to side.</p><p>“Oh my gods, it’s…it’s…” Fucking adorable was what Kam wanted to say but he thought that was too brash, inadequate. “It’s beautiful.”</p><p><em>Yes,</em> Falán agreed, <em>another is about to join us.</em> True to their word, the hatching of the first caused the second to follow, its steady tapping becoming more aggressive as the hatchling broke free. The second was much darker in colour, almost brown rather than green but with the same bright golden eyes staring at Kam and Falán. With the first two chittering to each other, it set off a chain reaction with the other eggs until hardly twenty minutes from the first dragon hatching, six sets of different shades of gold eyes were looking around, blinking and already trying to stand despite their legs not quite being strong enough.</p><p>Kam reached out, but caught himself. Should he touch them? Falán saw the movement and nodded, eyes bright and full of adoration. <em>Touch them. You are their mother, every child craves their parents’ affection.</em> It was something that Kam had not had as a child growing up, had no idea what it felt like and now that he technically was one, he wasn’t sure how to give said affection out. It couldn’t be difficult, right?</p><p>He moved his hand into the same position it had been when there were still eggs in front of him rather than actual baby dragons, hovering above them, fingers splayed. For some reason, he half expected his fingers to be nipped clean off, these were dragons no matter their size being that of cats right now, but instead, all he felt were little noses and heads butting against his hand. Those that couldn’t reach decided to crawl into his naked lap instead.</p><p>“Ow, ow, <em>ow!</em>” The sensation of tiny talons scratching the tops of his thighs wasn’t pleasant and Kam picked the two hatchlings up under their bellies before they could accidently harm more delicate areas. He grabbed the nearest blanket, the faded red one he had owned for longer than he cared to remember, and placed it over his lap. In an instant, they were back, the others getting the idea as to what was going on and settling against the sides of his legs when only four hatchlings would fit comfortably over his legs.</p><p><em>You have nothing to fear,</em> Falán whispered, nudging Kam’s cheek. <em>They already love you just as much I do.</em></p><p>Kam was sure he felt his heart stutter, the flush he felt on his face spreading down to his neck. He pushed back against Falán’s nose, closing his eyes and sighing into the dragon’s skin between their eyes. “I don’t really know much about bein’ a parent and all that. Especially to dragons.”</p><p>
  <em>Do not worry, I will teach you. For as long as you want.</em>
</p><p>“Oh, I don’t know. It could take a while.” Kam smirked at the chartreuse eyes so close to him as he ran both hands across each new hatchling in turn.</p><p>
  <em>I am very patient.</em>
</p><p>“Yeah, I noticed.” Kam raises one hand to clasp the equivalent of Falán’s chin. “And that’s good, because I guess that means I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”</p><p>A deep sound, like a purr, emanates from the depths of Falán’s chest which makes the dragon rustles their wings where they are folded neatly at their sides. <em>That is all I ever wanted to hear.</em></p><p>That’s good, because it’s all Kam wants too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay, dragons!!!</p><p> I hope you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a comment if you did. If you didn't, why did you just sit through nearly 25k words!?</p><p>- HWR</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So basically, I'm incapable of writing a PWP one-shot without getting dragged into plot land and not coming out the other side for a while. I've been here before, send help :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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